


Uncast Stones

by TheCommonStray



Series: Uncast Stones Trilogy [1]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-09
Updated: 2017-03-20
Packaged: 2018-08-20 09:33:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 34,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8244506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCommonStray/pseuds/TheCommonStray
Summary: "Who am I?"
  

  
    "Why am I here?"
  

  
    "Where did I come from?"
  

  These questions of a young tom-a LeafClan apprentice named Shadowpaw—has been haunting his mind ever since he was found unconscious along the riverbed. No cat knows where he came from, and all the young cat could remember was his name, Shadow. Thrust into the Clans way of life, Shadowpaw is determined to prove himself useful to his adoptive Clan. That all begins to change, however, when a mysterious she-cat claiming to be his sister appears—begging him to return home. With no one else to turn to, will this sister of his lead him home? Or will she lead him down a pre-destined dark path?





	1. Allegiances and Summary

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to my fanfiction! Others may know me by my other name, Pikafuey. _Uncast Stones_ is a story I have been working on, and I'm quite proud of it! I hope you enjoy what this story has to offer, and please do send me feedback! I love to hear your opinions!

**Allegiances**

**LeafClan**

**Leader:** Echostar- Fluffy calico she-cat with blue eyes. Has black-tipped ears and toes.

 **Deputy:** Foxchaser- Dark ginger-and-white she-cat with amber eyes.

 **Medicine Cat:** Whispersong- Small black-and-white tom with silver eyes.

_Apprentice: Sleetpaw_

 

**Warriors:**

Longwhisker- Ginger tabby tom with unusual long whiskers. Has green eyes.

Sagepelt- Gray tabby tom with white paws and silver eyes.

_Apprentice: Shadowpaw_

Briarpool- Brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

_Apprentice: Yellowpaw_

Amberfur- Tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes.

Timberfall- Dark brown tom with green eyes. Has a large notch in right ear.

_Apprentice: Rainpaw_

Duskstrike- Sandy brown tom with darker brown paws. Has brown eyes.

_Apprentice: Ivypaw_

Softstep- Small gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes.

Cloudflight- Long-haired white she-cat with yellow eyes.

_Apprentice: Firepaw_

Alderleaf- Dark ginger tabby tom with white front paws. Has green eyes.

Lionclaw- Thick-furred, golden tabby tom with amber eyes.

 

**Apprentices:**

Firepaw- Small ginger tabby she-cat, with white paws and chest tuft. Has dark blue eyes.

Rainpaw- Dark gray tabby tom with silver eyes.

Yellowpaw- Golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes.

Sleetpaw- Fluffy light gray tom with blue eyes.

Ivypaw- Black she-cat with white paws. Has yellow eyes.

Shadowpaw- Mottled gray tabby tom with white paws. Has dark gray ear tips, and flecked pelt. Has bright blue eyes.

 

**Queens:**

Nettleleaf- Dusty brown she-cat with green eyes. (Mate to Duskstrike. Mother to Sandkit, Brownkit, and Snowkit)

Dawnrise- Dappled ginger she-cat with long soft fur. Has amber eyes. (Mate to Longwhisker. Mother to Ravenkit, Sparrowkit, and Larkkit)

Hollycloud- Long-haired black she-cat with green eyes. (Mate to Sagepelt. Mother to Silverkit and Redkit)

 

**Elders:**

Birchclaw- Light brown tom with old silver eyes.

Frosttail- Black she-cat with a white tail tip, and chest tuft. Has yellow eyes.

Jayeyes- Silver tabby tom with ice blue eyes.

Oaktuft- Tan tabby she-cat with a dark brown chest tuft. Has green eyes.

* * *

 

**ReedClan**

**Leader:** Icestar- Large, long-haired, Albino tom with red eyes.

 **Deputy:** Heronwing- Gray-and-white she-cat with yellow eyes.

 **Medicine Cat:** Reedsplash- Brown-and-white tom with silver eyes.

_Apprentice: Littlepaw_

* * *

 

**PineClan**

**Leader:** Blackstar- Jet black, lithe she-cat with bright amber eyes.

 **Deputy:** Ravenwing- Black tabby tom with yellow eyes.

 **Medicine Cat:** Crowflight- Tuxedo she-cat with blue eyes.

_Apprentice: Krestelpaw_

* * *

 

**BreezeClan**

**Leader:** Skystar- Lean, well-muscled, silver tabby tom with light green eyes.

 **Deputy:** Ashheart- Gray (with darker flecks) she-cat with blue eyes.

 **Medicine Cat:** Dustpool- Light gray-and-white she-cat with green eyes.

 _Apprentice:_ Sootpaw

* * *

 

**Cats Outside the Clans:**

Lily- Slender dilute tortoiseshell she-cat with silver eyes.

Dune- Dark ginger tabby tom with a yellow eye. Has a blind right eye.

Pine- Russet-furred she-cat with white paws. Has green eyes.

Cinder- Dark gray she-cat with black ear tips. Has bright blue eyes.

Hawk- Brown tabby tom with scars all over his body. Has yellow eyes.


	2. Prologue

**Prologue**

Wind howled through the rain-blasted trees, leaves littering the forest floor. Paws pounded the soaked earth, kicking up mud onto nearby bushes. Yowls could be heard in the distance, barely audible over the roaring wind. A slender queen pressed through the storm, the kit in her jaws mewling pitifully. _Just a little further!_

The queen forced her legs to pump harder, as she cleared a narrow stream. Heart pounding in her chest, she breathed heavily through her nostrils. Her kit swayed limply in her jaws, thrumming his paws in protest. _Not too much longer my love,_ she silently pleaded to her kit. _We'll be safe soon._

Thunder cracked in an explosive boom, lightning illuminating the forest in a bright light. The yowling grew closer, the sound of paws drawing near. Gazing back with huge eyes, the queen rushed forward and through a bramble wall. Stumbling, she quickly drew herself back up and swept her gaze around. Loud gurgling from a river just below filled her ears, and she carefully stepped away from the edge.

Sitting her kit at her paws, she licked the tiny wet bundle while he mewled feebly. A loud snarl echoed through the forest, followed by caterwauls. Panic flared into the queen's chest, and she snatched her kit protectively.

"She's here!"

"She's trying to cross the river!"

"Not on my watch!"

Ears flattened, she swept her kit under her belly. A group of toms crashed through the wall, eyes glowing in the darkness. Hissing, she swiped her claws across the muzzle of the closest tom. Blood sprayed from his nose, and he let out a yowl of pain.

"I'll kill you!" he snarled angrily, but was quickly stopped by his companion.

"No!" the companion glared. "We're not here for that, you fool!"

A larger, battle-scarred tom stepped forward. "Hand over the kit," he demanded coldly. "So we can put an end to this pathetic game of cat and mouse!"

Defiance welled up in queen's chest, as she stepped back towards the edge. _"Never!"_

"Then die!" the first tom spat, leaping at her.

Pushing her kit to the side, she swatted the tom aside. Earth crumbled beneath her hind paws, tumbling down in the raging river below. Her kit mewed in fear, pressing as close to her side as he could. The other two toms surrounded her, hackles high and their malignant eyes cold.

"If you just hand over the kit, you won't have to die!" the battle-scarred tom growled.

Casting a quick glance at her tiny kit, the queen returned the tom's glare. "You'll have to learn to swim then!" she hissed defiantly.

Fear throbbing through every inch of her pelt, she scooped her kit up into her jaws. Just as the other tom leaped to catch her, she rolled to the side and crashed into the raging current below. Darkness engulfed her, the cold water thrashing her against the pebbly bottom. She clamped her jaws tightly around her kit's scruff, before propelling herself up. Thrusting her muzzle above the surface, she struggled to keep her kit from going under.

A large wave knocked her back under, sending her tumbling back down to the river's depths. Churning her paws desperately, she broke through the surface once more. Her lungs were burning from lack of air, and she could feel her consciousness fading quickly. _No! My son must live! I must make it through this!_ She stubbornly reminded herself. Bursting her head above the water, she gazed around frantically. Debris from the storm flooded into the water, a large log knocking the queen back under. With a lurch, she felt her kit's scruff escape her jaws. Filled with terror, she snatched desperately at the black water. Another strong wave sent her body gliding further downstream, slamming her against a lodged boulder.

Blackness began to cloud her vision, and she felt the life begin to fade from her body. _My son,_ she wailed silently. _I'm so sorry, I failed._ She closed her eyes, the river taking her to it's shadowy depths.


	3. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the only chapter with Firepaw's POV. The rest will be in Shadowpaw's POV.

"Firepaw!"

Silence.

"Firepaw, come on!"

_Why did_ I _get chosen for dawn patrol?_ A small ginger tabby she-cat thought to herself resentfully. Grunting, she slowly sat up in her nest, shaking the moss from her soft pelt. Around her, the slow rise and fall from her denmates made her envious. _I wish I could go to back to sleep!_

Sighing, she gave a long stretch, climbing out of the thorn den. Early morning light was beginning to shimmer through the trees, speckling the clearing like a dappled pelt. Birdsong echoed through the sky above, while a gentle breeze ruffled the she-cat's fur. A long-haired, white she-cat made her way over, tail tip twitching irritably.

_Cloudflight._ The tabby thought, with an inward groan. _Not too happy either, by the looks of it._

"Honestly Firepaw!" her mentor snapped. "You sleep like a dorm mouse!"

Firepaw just yawned. "Sorry," she muttered groggily.

Cloudflight gave a snort. "Let's just go," she mewed briskly.

Waiting by the entrance, were Firepaw's campmates—Rainpaw and Timberfall. Rainpaw paced around his mentor anxiously, as if he couldn't wait to run through the forest. Timberfall, however, looked less than pleased by his apprentice's enthusiasm. Firepaw twitched an ear amusingly. _It's hard to believe Rainpaw is two moons older than me, he acts like a kit!_

Timberfall turned towards his apprentice. "Rainpaw!" he called. "Quit pacing around, we're leaving."

The dark gray tabby's eyes lit up, and he scrambled over to Firepaw. "Great!" he meowed happily.

Cloudflight exchanged a nod with Timberfall, before heading out of the hollow log's entrance. Firepaw followed just behind her mentor, Rainpaw dashing ahead of them. The young tom was sniffing around excitedly, eager to get into anything. Cloudflight huffed in amusement.

"What enthusiasm your apprentice has, Timberfall," she commented. "Maybe mine should take some advice."

Firepaw rolled her eyes, pushing past the white warrior. "I have plenty of enthusiasm," she retorted indignantly. "I just have more of it when it isn't being up at dawn!"

Tail tip twitching, Timberfall paid them no mind. His gaze was fixed on Rainpaw, who was running further and further away. "Rainpaw!" he called. "Get back here!"

There was no response, and the gray tabby was nowhere in sight. Firepaw angled her ears ahead, hoping to hear her excitable denmate. The only sounds that drifted through her ears however, was birdsong and the sounds of prey among the undergrowth. Timberfall had ran ahead, going after his lively apprentice. Cloudflight quickly followed suit, Firepaw at her heels.

Up ahead, the undergrowth gave way to a deep ravine. The patrol stopped at the edge, scenting the air for their Clanmate. Firepaw peered over the edge of the ravine, stones clattering down the side. A dense fog covered the bottom, and she had to narrow her eyes to see better. The faint sound of water running down below, told Firepaw a stream was at the bottom. Fluffing out her fur as chills crept up her spine, she backed away from the edge. _I don't think I ever want to find out what's at the bottom!_

Gazing across she saw the lining on tall pine trees, giving way to dark shadows below their needle canopies. _PineClan is just on the other side,_ she remembered. _I don't know how they can stand living in the dark like that!_ Timberfall head onwards, along the PineClan border—Cloudflight just beside him. Firepaw quickly caught up, looking around as they walked.

"I swear when I find this apprentice of mine, I'm going to rip his ears off!" Timberfall scowled irritably.

Cloudflight snorted. "Yeah, if you can catch him first!"

Bushes rustled nearby, alerting the patrol. Firepaw tensed, tasting the air for scents. Cloudflight stepped back, as Timberfall shouldered past her. He lifted his tail warily, ears flattened. The bushes exploded then, a large thrush flying up into the air. Just behind it, Rainpaw leaped and knocked it to the ground with out-stretched paws. He quickly killed it with a swift bite to the neck, and looked up at his Clanmates triumphantly.

"You mouse-brain!" Timberfall hissed, cuffing his apprentice around the ears. "Don't just go running off, doing as you please!"

Rainpaw reeled back, his silver eyes seeming full of hurt and confusion. "B-But I caught this really large thrush! It'll feed the elder's for sure!"

Timberfall growled. "Good, because as soon as we get back to camp you'll be taking care of their ticks for the next moon!"

Crestfallen, Rainpaw drooped his tail and looked down. Firepaw felt a stab of pity for her denmate, but a glare from Cloudflight told her to remain silent. Timberfall started to walk ahead, Rainpaw picking up his prey and following less cheerfully than before. Firepaw walked beside him, resting her tail tip on his shoulder in quiet comfort. Her friend blinked gratefully at her, and the two followed their mentors deeper into their territory. Once they reached the ReedClan border, Firepaw sniffed around for any new scents. The narrow river that ran through the border was still, and the water looked like a thin sheet of ice. Across it, a large reed bed gave way to marshland, where the ReedClan cats made their home.

Cloudflight remarked the scent lines with Timberfall, and then turned to set out back towards camp. Firepaw went to follow, but was stopped by a splash from the river. Halting, she turned and looked back over towards the border. She shook out her fur, and padded back towards the riverbed. Peering into the water, she noticed a large bundle of fur drifting through the gentle current.

Her fur stood on end. _Great StarClan, it's a cat!_

"Cloudflight!" she yowled. "Come here, quickly!"

Cloudflight came rushing back, Rainpaw and Timberfall on her heels. Fur bristled along her spine, she rushed over towards Firepaw. Following her startled gaze, her mentor quickly saw the cat drifting in the river.

"Great StarClan!" she exclaimed. "Timberfall, it's a cat!"

Timberfall raced over, quickly leaping down into the river. Cloudflight paced the edge, waiting for their Clanmate to pull the cat to shore. The brown warrior paddled over the strange cat, grabbing its scruff in his teeth. He tugged them, pulling them towards the pebbly shore. Cloudflight joined him, wading into the water to help pull the cat ashore. Dragging the sodden cat across the pebbles, Timberfall panted heavily as they let it go.

"Are they breathing?" Cloudflight asked, worried.

Timberfall lowered his muzzle to the cat's chest. "Just barely," he answered, pressing his forepaws on the cat's chest. "Turn their head up so I can get the water out," he ordered.

Cloudflight obeyed, turning their muzzle and stepping back. Timberfall pressed down repeatedly, heaving the cat's flanks up. After a few moments, the cat coughed, water gushing out of their mouth. Timberfall lowered his head to theirs.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

The cat gazed up at him, their bright blue eyes cloudy. Without an answer, their head drooped to the ground again, falling into unconsciousness.


	4. Chapter Two

"How is he?"

"Will he live?"

"Hush! Both of you! I'll call you when something happens!"

Blinking open his eyes, a tom gazed around himself blearily. In a nest lined with moss and feathers, he could hear the trickling of water just outside the hollow log he was in. _Where am I?_ He wondered hazily. _Who were those voices I just heard?_ Soft paw steps sounded just outside, and in stepped a small black-and-white tom. His silver gaze was calm and gentle, and the tom felt himself at ease.

"So you're awake," the tom meowed, his voice an even-toned mew. "How do you feel?"

Looking around, he tried to sit up. Dizziness edged his vision, and he forced himself to stay down. "Very dizzy," he rasped.

The tom gave a brief nod, and rested a paw on his chest. "Seems you were in the water a good amount of time," he murmured. Tilting his head, he moved back. "My name is Whispersong by the way, I'm LeafClan's medicine cat."

"Medicine cat? LeafClan?" the tom echoed, confused.

Whispersong rustled through some hollow indents in the log. "LeafClan is one of the four Clans of the forest. The river you were found in was close to ReedClan's border. Our dawn patrol found you floating down the river, unconscious."

"Dawn patrol...?" the tom repeated, his mind whirling. _What are all these strange words? Just where am I?_

Placing a leaf bundle in front of his muzzle, Whispersong sat with his tail neatly wrapped around his paws. "I can imagine this is a lot to take in at once," he observed. "You've had a pretty traumatic experience, so just try to take it easy."

Sniffing at the bundle, he screwed up his nose. "What is this? It smells strange."

"Strengthening herbs," Whispersong replied, whiskers twitching. "They might taste a bit bitter, but you'll feel much better afterward."

Hesitating, the tom lapped up the herbs bundled in the leaf. Struggling to swallow the bitter taste on his tongue, he grudgingly gulped it down. Licking his lips disgustedly, he sat back up. The LeafClan medicine cat looked on in amusement, before getting back to his paws.

"Tell me," he mewed suddenly. "What is your name, young one?"

The tom blinked uncertainly. _My name?_ He thought, frowning. _I can't remember anything...did I even have one?_ Shaking his head, he looked down at his paws. "I-I..."

Darkness swept through his mind then, edging the lining of the oak forest. Shadows cast along the floor, providing safety and security for the tiny life living among the ferns and brambles. _That's right,_ he remembered suddenly. _My name..._

"My name it's," he began, looking back up. "My name is Shadow."

Blinking thoughtfully, Whispersong gave an approving nod. "Shadow," he repeated. "That's a fitting name for a dark tabby like yourself."

"Whispersong!" a mew sounded just outside the hollow log. "Dawnrise is complaining of cramps, I'm not sure if she's kitting or not."

Turning his head, Whispersong sighed. "I'll be right there, Sleetpaw," shifting his gaze back to Shadow, the small tom dipped his head. "I must go check on one of our queens, so I ask that you try to get some more rest."

Shadow watched Whispersong disappear outside, his paws feeling heavy. _I'm so tired,_ he thought drearily. _My mind is all hazy too, I don't remember anything at all._ Shifting his paws uncomfortably, Shadow gave a quiet sigh. A fluffy gray tom suddenly ducked into the log, sniffing around the herb stores. Absent-mindlessly shifting through them, he grunted and scooped up a pawful of strange looking plants. Shadow watched him curiously, but didn't say a word.

The tom quickly darted back out of the hollow log, leaving Shadow to himself again. Twitching an ear, he listened around him. The many sounds of cats talking, kits mewling, and the scuffling of dirt as cats tussled filled his ears. Curiosity itching in his paws, Shadow slowly slipped out of his mossy nest. Tasting the air, the scent of fresh-kill and other cats bathed his tongue. _There must be a lot of cats here,_ he noted. _I wonder how many?_

Pushing through a thin lichen wall, he emerged into a grassy clearing. A small pool of water trickled outside of the hollow log he was in, a thick fern barrier surrounding the tiny clearing. Peeking his head outside of the fern entrance, he could see an even bigger clearing—trees looming on all sides, while a thick bramble barrier surrounded it. Near the hollow log he was in, Shadow could see a thick clump of brambles not far off. The sounds of mewling kits told him it was a nursery. Another large hollow out tree was on the other side of the log, with reinforced bramble walls along the side. An old light brown tom laid outside, his silver eyes dull with age.

Across the clearing, were two more large clumps of brambles. A golden tabby she-cat tussled around with a dark gray tom, a black she-cat with white paws looking on. In front of the other bramble clump, were two older cats sharing a large blackbird together. At the very edge of the clearing, stood a thick, old oak tree. It sat atop a large boulder, its ancient roots wrapping itself into place. At the bottom, along the side of the boulder, a narrow crevice seemed to open up into a den of sorts. The very center of the clearing stood a pile of freshly caught prey—made up of all sorts of creatures from the forest beyond.

"So you decided to come out," Whispersong's even mew startled him.

Shadow flinched, looking down. "I-I'm sorry," he apologized. "I was just curious..."

"It's quite alright," the gentle tom purred. "Seeing your curiosity tells me you're feeling well."

Lifting his head, Shadow tipped his head to the side. "So, is this LeafClan?" he asked, remembering Whispersong's introduction not long ago.

Silver eyes gleaming, Whispersong nodded. "That's correct," he said. "The very heart of it to be exact. We're in the camp."

"The camp?" Shadow repeated questioningly.

Whispersong turned to face a hole through a hollow log, near the clump of bramble dens. "Over there is the camp entrance," he said. "The two dens beside it are the apprentice and warrior dens."

"Apprentice and warriors?" Shadow asked. "What are those?"

"Well, a warrior is a cat who protects the Clan from predators and enemy Clans. The apprentices are warriors in training, or in other cases, a cat training to be the future medicine cat," Whispersong explained. "Apprentices start their training when they're six moons. Actually, you would have just became an apprentice if you were Clanborn."

Shadow's mind whirled with the new information. He shook it and thought for a moment. "So Sleetpaw is your apprentice then?" he asked.

Whispersong's whiskers twitched approvingly. "Correct," he purred. "And over there," he pointed his tail toward the bramble of mewling kits. "Is the nursery where the queens stay with their kits until they're old enough to become apprentices. On the other side, in that hollow tree is where the elders stay."

Shadow gazed around in awe. LeafClan was so well organized! Each cat seemed to be busy with their own duties, and Shadow couldn't help but feel impressed. _How great it must be to be part of a Clan_! He thought excitedly. His bright blue gaze drifted towards the large oak, curiosity stirring in his pelt.

"What is near that large oak tree?" he asked.

Whispersong sat, wrapping his tail around his paws. "That is where our leader addresses the Clan," he meowed. "In that crevice just below, is where she makes her den."

Shadow watched the crevice, blinking when a cat emerged. Her fluffy calico fur glowed in the sunlight, while her black tipped ears and toes shone gray. A dark ginger-and-white she-cat approached her, and the two talked quietly among each other. As the second she-cat disappeared through the camp entrance, the first one looked over towards Shadow and Whispersong.

"That is Echostar," Whispersong murmured to Shadow quietly. "Remember to be respectful, she is LeafClan's leader."

Shivering a bit nervously, Shadow lowered himself to the ground as she approached them. Echostar gazed down at him, her dark blue eyes warm and friendly. Whispersong stood, dipping his head respectfully.

"Foxchaser had told me our guest had woken," she mewed, her voice soft and warm. "And I can see he is not much older than our newest apprentice, Firepaw."

Whispersong nodded briefly. "Yes, he just woke up not long ago," he responded. "He doesn't remember much, but he told me his name was Shadow."

Echostar looked at him thoughtfully, exchanging a glance with Whispersong. Shadow looked at them, feeling uneasy. _What was that just now?_ He wondered. Whispersong draped his tail across Shadow's shoulders, nodding to him.

Echostar turned to head back towards her den, motioning for them to follow. Gulping uneasily, Shadow followed alongside Whispersong. A thin lichen drape lined the entrance to the crevice, and he watched as the LeafClan leader disappeared inside. Whispersong gave Shadow a nod, and he hesitantly followed after her, Whispersong just behind him. Echostar sat at the back of the small cave, her tail neatly around her paws. Whispersong sat beside her, while Shadow nervously sat a few tail-lengths in front of them.

"Shadow," Echostar spoke, her blue eyes sparking thoughtfully. "Is it true you do not remember anything but your name?"

Shadow dropped his gaze, staring down at his paws. "Y-Yes," he answered. "I don't even remember coming here."

Whispersong looked at his leader. "Echostar, what is it that's on your mind?"

Echostar kept her gaze on Shadow. "If it is true that our guest does not have any memory, it would be wrong to cast him out of camp."

"So what is it that you suggest?" Whispersong asked, ears perked.

"I think Shadow should be taken in, until further notice," she responded.

Shadow looked at her, heart quickening. "Taken in?"

The fluffy calico's blue eyes lit up. "Shadow, how would you like to become a LeafClan apprentice?"


	5. Chapter Three

****

**Chapter Three**

“Well? What do you think, Shadow?” Echostar asked, her blue eyes gleaming in the dimness of the den. 

_Become a LeafClan apprentice?_ Shadow stared at the leader in shock. _Could I really prove myself to be useful to them?_ The thought of running through the forest, catching prey and living among the Clan cats was very appealing to the young tom. Just the thought of being useful stirred excitement in his pelt. He blinked, realizing the LeafClan leader was awaiting his answer. 

Whispersong leaned forward. “Echostar, are you certain this is a good idea?” 

The graceful she-cat raised her head, confidence coming off her pelt in waves. “LeafClan is strong,” she stated. “And it will be even stronger with another apprentice.” 

Shadow felt his heart leap. _Can I really do this?_ He screwed his eyes shut tight, trying to summon all of his courage. Finally, he took a deep breath. “I-I'll do it,” he decided. “I'll become a LeafClan apprentice.” 

Echostar's blue gaze bore into his own. “Are you certain?” she mewed. “Being a member of our Clan will not always be easy. There will be days where we may not have fresh-kill, and you will go to bed hungry. There will be times you could face danger—even death—in battle with other Clans, or even predators. Will you be able to handle that?” 

Uneasiness stirred in Shadow's belly. Although the danger and hard-life seemed daunting, the looks of contentment and happiness lighting in the gazes of the cats earlier out-weighed that. _And, maybe this will help me regain my memory as well._ At last, Shadow fully made his decision. “Yes,” he vowed, his voice cracking with slight uncertainty. 

Dipping her head in brief approval, Echostar got to her paws. “Very well,” she said, eyes glowing. “Come.” 

Whispersong nodded to Shadow, following after her. Trying to ignore the tightening knot in his belly, Shadow emerged back into the clearing. Echostar had bounded up the large oak, while Whispersong sat at the foot of it. He motioned for Shadow to quickly join him, Echostar yowling for the Clan to gather. 

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highoak for a Clan meeting!” 

Upon hearing her summons, all the cats in the clearing quickly stood and gathered beneath the ancient oak tree. Shadow blinked as he watched the cats gather, all of them glancing at him with curious eyes. Whispersong sat erect, ears pointed as he waited patiently for his leader to begin. Trying to mimic him, Shadow straightened up—attempting to seem just as confident. 

“As you know,” Echostar began. “Our dawn patrol found this young tom floating in the river beside ReedClan. Since recovering, I have decided to offer him apprenticeship within the Clan.” 

Gasps of surprise and shock rippled through the cats. They looked at each other, completely unsettled by having a cat they knew little about join their ranks. Echostar raised her tail to silence her Clan. 

“I know this is a sudden decision,” she explained. “However, times have become dire. With more and more skirmishes between our rivals, we need another apprentice now more than ever. Shadow has agreed to become an apprentice, and so I will ask StarClan to approve of him.” 

The cats grew silent, turning their gaze to Echostar as she raised her muzzle to the sky. 

“From this day forward, until he has earned his warrior name, this apprentice will be called Shadowpaw. Your mentor will be Sagepelt,” she swept her gaze towards a gray tabby. “Sagepelt, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Oaktuft, and you have shown yourself to be patient and compassionate. I expect you to pass on all you know to young Shadowpaw.” 

Sagepelt nodded solemnly, slowly stepping forward out of the throng of cats. Shadow stiffened, unsure of what to do. Whispersong gently nosed his forward. “Touch your nose to Sagepelt's,” he instructed quietly. 

Stumbling forward, Shadow nervously approached his new mentor. Sagepelt leaned his muzzle down towards him, touching noses before stepping back. The cats glanced at one another, before raising their muzzles up. “Shadowpaw! Shadowpaw! Shadowpaw!” they chanted. 

Tail bushing out, Shadowpaw quickly leaped back in surprise. Whispersong purred in amusement, gently touching his shoulder with his tail. “It's okay,” he reassured. “Our Clanmates are just welcoming you into the Clan as Shadowpaw.” 

Shadowpaw blinked. _Our Clanmates!_ His fur fluffed out in excitement. _I'm really a LeafClan apprentice now!_

Whispersong slowly padded through his Clanmates, back towards his den. Shadowpaw watched him, unsure of what he should do next. Sagepelt was nearby, talking quietly with two other warriors. Sending them off with a tiny flick of his tail, the gray tabby padded towards Shadowpaw. Heart quickening, he stared down his paws nervously. 

“Welcome to LeafClan, Shadowpaw,” his mentor greeted warmly. “I'm Sagepelt, and I will be your mentor from here on.” 

Shadowpaw looked up at him. The tabby warrior's silver eyes were friendly and welcoming. Feeling more at ease, Shadowpaw straightened up and forced himself to nod. “N-Nice to meet you, Sagepelt.” 

Sagepelt tilted his head thoughtfully. “So Shadowpaw,” he meowed. “What do you know about the Clans?” 

Frowning, he shook his head. “N-Nothing,” he admitted. “I don't remember anything. I-I'm not even sure if I knew about the Clans before you found me.” 

Sagepelt's gaze softened. “What a shame,” he mewed sympatheticly. He quickly shook out his fur. “Well, there is no use dwelling on what can't be helped. I think today I'll teach you the basics of Clan life.” 

“The basics?” Shadowpaw asked. 

Nodding, Sagepelt gazed around the camp. “As you might already know, this is our camp. We must never allow any enemies or predators to get close. Protecting our queens, kits, and elders are a warriors' top priority.” 

Shadowpaw nodded in understanding. “Whispersong showed me what all the dens were too,” he added. 

“Great,” Sagepelt smiled. “Has he mentioned the warrior code to you at all?” 

“Warrior code?” Shadowpaw echoed, confused. 

Purring, Sagepelt walked ahead. “I'll take that as a no,” he said. “The warrior code is the Clans way of life. We are to obey the code at all times, and can face severe punishment if broken.” 

Shadowpaw's fur bristled in fear. What if he had broken the code while he was here? What if he did at all? Sagepelt's eyes glowed, clearly sensing the apprentice's apprehension. 

“Easy,” he assured. “You will learn the code well in time. For now, I will teach you the most basic of them.” 

Relaxing, Shadowpaw nodded. “Okay.” 

Sagepelt sat and curled his tail around his paws. “The first warrior code states that you must defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life. You can have friendships in the other Clans, but your loyalty must always be towards your Clan. After all, you may just meet them in battle some day.” 

Shadowpaw frowned. “So why become friends with other cats in the Clans?” 

Shrugging, Sagepelt shook his head. “Sometimes it's just best to stick to your own Clan. You wont have to face such a decision then,” he went on. “Which leads to the second code. Clan cats may not hunt or trespass into another Clan's territory. And for good reason! The prey we have in our own territories are best suited to our respective abilities, and hunting techniques. It also keeps the Clans at peace.” 

“I understand,” Shadowpaw mewed. 

Nodding, Sagepelt went on. “The next code you must know, is that Clan must be fed first. That means the elders, queens, and kits must be fed before yourself. Eating any prey while out on patrol is strictly forbidden. All prey caught must be brought back, and only then may you eat your share.” 

Shadowpaw tipped his head. “That makes sense,” he mewed thoughtfully. 

“The next code you need to know for now, is that an honorable warrior does not need to kill in order to win a battle. Battles can be won, without the death of an enemy,” Sagepelt explained. 

“So we fight only to protect our Clan, but not to kill?” Shadowpaw repeated. “Understood.” 

Whiskers twitching, Sagepelt stood with a stretch. “Yes, now,” he began. “Go and pick a piece of prey from the fresh-kill pile, and get yourself some rest. I plan to take you to explore the territory first thing tomorrow.” 

Shadowpaw's belly rumbled, making him realize just how hungry he was. Nodding a little in embarrassment, he scurried over to the center of camp. Carefully plucking a mouse from the pile, he sat in a quiet corner of camp to eat. Once he was done, he slid into the apprentices' den. Inside, it was spacious and warm, mossy nests lined along the dirt floor. Warily sniffing out a nest with stale scent, he curled up and stared at the entrance. Eyes beginning to feel heavy, he slowly drifted off to sleep.


	6. Chapter Four

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Chapter Four

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Water washed over Shadowpaw's muzzle, tossing him back down into darkness. Choking, the mottled tom feebly churned the water with his paws. Gasping for air, he broke the surface of the water once more. Logs and other forest debris crashed over him, knocking him back down below. Fear exploded in his chest, and he fought desperately for air. The powerful current yanked him further downstream, wrapping its thick waves around the young tom's body. 

Panic stricken, Shadowpaw struggled to break free of its vicious grip. Once again, his muzzle broke the surface and he managed to gulp in some more air; before being dragged back down into the water's dark depths. Being flung mercilessly along the riverbed, he let out a painful gasp as he was slammed into a submerged tree trunk. Vision fading, Shadowpaw could feel himself drifting away. Darkness edged his vision, swallowing him into a thick blanket of shadows. 

Gasping for air, Shadowpaw flew up in his nest. Half-asleep and still in a state of panic, he bundled out of the den and into the clearing. Fur bushed out in fear, ears flat and eyes widened, he looked around him in shock. Without turning his gaze ahead of him, he slammed into another cat. The other cat let out a yowl of surprise, and the two of them tumbled across the dirt. Shadowpaw gazed down in confusion, meeting the shocked dark blue gaze of a ginger tabby. Embarrassed, he quickly leaped back and bowed his head apologetically. 

“I-I'm so sorry!” he stammered, his pelt hot with shame. “I-I didn't see you and..." 

The tabby got to her paws, shaking out her fur. “I could tell,” she huffed. “You looked as if a herd of foxes were after you!” 

Ears burning, Shadowpaw lowered his gaze. “I-I had a bad dream...I'm really sorry...” 

“Don't worry about it,” she shrugged. “It's not that big of a deal.” 

Lifting his head, Shadowpaw blinked. The tabby looked about his age, but her small frame made her seem much younger than she was. She had white paws, a tiny white tuft of fur sticking out on her chest. Tilting his head, he tried to remember where he had seen her before. For some reason, she seemed oddly familiar. 

Twitching an ear, her eyes gleamed in amusement. “You know, it's not very polite to stare.” 

Blinking, Shadowpaw quickly looked away in embarrassment. “S-Sorry, I-I didn't mean...” 

Laughing, she flicked her tail. “Relax already!” she growled good-humorously. “You're more jumpy than a kit their first day out of the nursery!” 

“R-Right...” Shadowpaw mewed, blinking at her. 

“Shadowpaw, wasn't it?” she asked. “I didn't really get a chance to introduce myself yesterday. My name's Firepaw. I'm one of the apprentices here, in fact, until you came I was the newest one.” 

Shadowpaw tipped his head to the side. The small tabby's ginger fur glowed in the early sunlight, and he could easily see why she had been named Firepaw. “How long have you been an apprentice?” 

Firepaw gave a long stretch. “Only for a few days,” she answered. “My mentor's name is Cloudflight,” she flicked her tail over towards a long-haired white she-cat, just now emerging from the warriors' den. “She can be a pain, but she's not too bad once you get used to her.” 

Whiskers twitching, Shadowpaw watched the white warrior greet a few others at the camp entrance. He swept his gaze back to Firepaw. “She seems friendly,” he observed. 

The ginger apprentice gave a snort. “Yeah, and badgers fly!” she rolled her eyes. “Get to know her, you'll learn to like the badgers more,” she said, narrowing her eyes. 

Stepping back, Shadowpaw shook his head. “Er, t-that's alright...” 

A hint of mischief shone in her eyes, and she began to groom her chest fur. “So, Shadowpaw,” she mewed between licks. “How do you like the Clan so far?” she stopped to meet his gaze. 

Shadowpaw shuffled his paws uncomfortably. “I-It isn't bad....” he started, uncertain of what to say. 

Firepaw smoothed a paw over her ears. “Yeah, I guess that's a good way to put it,” she meowed simply, opening an eye to stare at him. 

“Firepaw!” a new voice called. 

Sighing, she shook her head and glanced over her shoulder. Shadowpaw followed her gaze, tilting his head as a dark gray tabby bounced towards them—silver eyes wide with undisguised enthusiasm. Skidding to a halt only a tail-length away, he shifted his paws excitedly. Firepaw's ears twitched with amusement, and she let out a tiny snort. 

“Care to tell me what has you excited today, Rainpaw?” she asked, although Shadowpaw guessed by her tone she already knew the answer. 

Rainpaw turned in a quick circle, fur bushed out. “Timberfall is taking me out on my first assessment today!” he chirped, eyes wide. “I'm so nervous, but so excited at the same time!” 

Firepaw gave him a friendly nudge. “You'll do fine with all that energy!” she teased playfully. “Just make sure not to scare off the prey!” 

Not seeming to notice his friend's playful jabs, Rainpaw's gaze had already drifted towards Shadowpaw. Feeling a bit uneasy, Shadowpaw began to step back a bit. Rainpaw was faster, pouncing just a hair away from him. Yelping in surprise, Shadowpaw fell back, ears flat. Completely oblivious, the gray apprentice stared at him with round, curious eyes. 

“Hey, it's the new apprentice!” he exclaimed unnecessarily. 

Firepaw flicked her tail over his muzzle, standing beside her friend. “Yeah, we're aware of that you big lump!” she scolded, her tone amused. “But how about you not scare the hair off his pelt first?” 

Catching his breath, Shadowpaw got back to his paws. He eyed the excitable apprentice warily, making sure to step back from him. Although Rainpaw seemed friendly, his energy was a bit too much for the new apprentice to bear with. Not seeming the slightest bit deterred, Rainpaw leaned his muzzle forward to sniff Shadowpaw curiously. 

“You smell weird,” he wrinkled his nose. “Are you a kittypet or something?” 

Shadowpaw blinked. “A...what?” he asked, completely confused. 

Firepaw cuffed her denmate over the ears, nudging him back. “Don't mind Rainpaw,” she sighed. “He's got a few...things missing up there.” 

“Huh? What's missing?” Rainpaw asked, blissfully unaware. “Should I go find it?” 

Heaving a defeated sigh, Firepaw flicked her tail towards a group of warriors. “Yes Rainpaw,” she muttered. “Why don't you go ask Timberfall what's missing? Maybe you can actually find them before you drive us all crazy.” 

Eyes shining with a new task, the dark gray tabby scrambled off towards his mentor—a thick-furred dark brown tom. Shadowpaw stared after them, in awe of how much enthusiasm and energy the young tom had. _He's almost a bit exhausting to watch,_ he thought wearily. 

Firepaw shook her head. “Sorry,” she apologized, smiling a little as she looked at him. “Rainpaw means well, he's just a bit of an air-head sometimes.” 

_Sometimes?_ Shadowpaw blinked. To him, this seemed like it was almost an everyday routine! Relaxing, he gave a little purr. “It's okay,” he mewed. “He seems friendly enough.” 

“Too friendly,” Firepaw scoffed, rolling her eyes. “The mouse-brain would try to befriend a nest of foxes if you let him!” 

_Friendly and with a death wish,_ Shadowpaw sighed. He sure picked some interesting cats to share a den with. 

Sagepelt padded over towards them, his eyes warm and friendly. Dipping his head in greeting to the apprentices, he twitched an ear at Shadowpaw. “So,” he meowed. “Are you ready to tour the territory?” 

Excitement fizzled under Shadowpaw's pelt, and his eyes shone. “Yes!” he purred. 

Tipping his head towards the fresh-kill pile, his mentor let out an amused laugh. “Well, first, make sure you eat something. It's a long way to go, and we won't have time to stop and hunt.” 

Nodding, Shadowpaw quickly bounded off towards the pile of prey in the center of camp. Sniffing through the heap, he chose a vole and sat near the medicine cat den. Finishing it in a few bites, he got to his paws and raced to the entrance of camp, where Sagepelt was waiting patiently. 

“All set?” he asked, getting to his paws. 

Shadowpaw nodded, raising his tail happily. Before they could leave however, Sagepelt turned his attention to Cloudflight and Firepaw as they approached. Curious, Shadowpaw blinked at them. 

“Cloudflight and Firepaw will be joining us today,” Sagepelt explained. “It can never hurt for newer apprentices to see as much of our territory as possible.” 

Cloudflight nodded in agreement. “Yes,” she said, shooting a meaning glance to her apprentice. “Shadowpaw, because you especially do not know much about Clan life, this will be a very important lesson for you. Listen carefully today, for it will be wise to learn as much as you can.” 

Suddenly feeling nervous, Shadowpaw dipped his head politely. “I-I will,” he promised. 

Sagepelt's whiskers twitched, and he turned to leave through the hollow log. Cloudflight and Firepaw followed after him, Shadowpaw just behind them. As they emerged out of camp, the sky above was suddenly hidden by a sea of green. Lush plant life surrounded them on all sides, large oak trees towering overhead—their vast branches providing the cats security with thick green leaves. Birdsong echoed through the forest, the sounds of scuttling dashing through the thickets nearby. Shadowpaw gazed around him in awe, shocked by how full of life the forest was. 

He quickly followed his Clanmates, as they veered off into a path through some ferns. At the end of it, the path opened up into a small clearing. Sitting in the center, was a hollow pit whose all stone walls were barely a tail-length above the soft sand it encased. Sagepelt turned to look at him. 

“This is the hollow pit,” he told him. “Here is where we hold training sessions for both warriors and apprentices. You'll become fairly familiar with this place soon enough.” 

Firepaw hopped down into the pit. “Don't let the sand fool you,” she sniffed. “It's as hard as stone.” 

Cloudflight lashed her tail. “Stop goofing off!” she spat. 

“Stop goofing off!” Firepaw muttered in a mocking tone, as she climbed back out to stand beside Shadowpaw. 

Blinking uneasily, he just shifted his gaze towards Sagepelt. His mentor was waiting patiently, staring up at the trees. Crows cawed loudly, bursting from some trees close by. Sagepelt's fur spiked up in alarm. 

“Somethings wrong,” he growled. “Cloudflight, take Firepaw and Shadowpaw back to camp!” 

Not waiting a single moment, the white warrior obeyed and thrust the two apprentices forward. Hissing a protest, Firepaw stumbled forward. Shadowpaw stared back at Sagepelt with wide eyes, worried for his mentor. The gray tabby was already charging deeper into the forest, leaving a thin trail of dust in his wake. Cloudflight nudged Shadowpaw again, her yellow eyes burning. 

“Move it!” she snapped. 

Yelping in surprise, Shadowpaw stumbled over his paws as he dashed ahead of them. Firepaw quickly followed at his heels, skirting a few trees as she darted past him. Cloudflight was bringing up their rear, an unreadable expression clouding her gaze. As the trio burst into camp, the tang of blood filled Shadowpaw's nostrils. Skidding to a halt, panting heavily, he saw a heap of bloody matted fur beside the Highoak. Rainpaw was pacing back and forth, fur ruffled and dirty. Echostar was already outside of her den, fur spiked along her spine. 

“There you are!” a golden tabby meowed, bounding up to Firepaw's side. 

“Yellowpaw, what in the name of StarClan happened?” Firepaw demanded, her eyes wide. 

The golden apprentice frowned. “I'm not sure,” she replied. “Rainpaw came racing back, just barely managing to hold Longwhisker up.” 

Shadowpaw blinked, flicking his gaze back towards the injured warrior. Whispersong and Sleetpaw were already at his side, tending to his wounds carefully. 

“Foxchaser left with Alderleaf and Lionclaw not long ago,” Yellowpaw went on. “Echostar is still trying to figure out what happened. Timberfall didn't return, and with Longwhisker injured...” 

Firepaw frowned, her gaze suddenly dark. “This is bad,” she murmured softly. 

Unease crept through Shadowpaw's fur, and he gazed back through the hollow log. Sagepelt, he frowned. Without bothering to look back at his new Clanmates, he quickly pushed his way out of camp. Whatever had injured Longwhisker and distressed Rainpaw so badly, Shadowpaw was determined to make sure his new mentor made it back to camp okay.


	7. Chapter Five

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Chapter Five

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Shadowpaw pushed through brambles, his ears alert for the sounds of screeching cats. Worry and panic seared his pelt. Rapid pawsteps followed closely behind him, and he skidded to a halt. Spinning around, ice blue eyes met dark blue. Firepaw was panting, her fur spiked up. 

“F-Firepaw?” Shadowpaw panted, surprised to see his denmate had followed him. 

Firepaw lifted her head, eyes narrowed. “Did you honestly think I'd let you charge through the forest alone?” she growled, swiping her sheathed paws across his ears. “Mouse-brain!” 

Flinching back, Shadowpaw lowered his head. “S-Sorry!” he apologized. “B-But Sagepelt...” 

“Save it,” Firepaw snapped. “We're here now right? Might as well finish what we came out here to do.” 

Without waiting for a response, the ginger she-cat pushed past him. Not seeing if he was following, she pressed forward. Reluctantly, Shadowpaw bounded off behind her. The two apprentices ran through the forest, the sounds of screeching cats drawing closer and closer. Firepaw leaped onto a tumble of rocks, gazing down a small ravine into a clearing. Shadowpaw jumped up beside her, his eyes widened in shock. 

Down below were the LeafClan patrol, swiping and hissing at a large black-and-white creature. It had a narrow snout, with black beady eyes. Twice the size of the cats, the beast lumbered around on four, thick legs. Laying beside a bush bleeding profusely from deep claw marks, was Rainpaw's mentor, Timberfall. Sagepelt was standing in front of his wounded Clanmate, hissing angrily at the large creature. Scratches laced his flanks, and blood dripped from a gash on his head. Nearby, a dark ginger tom leaped onto the snarling beast's back. Another tom, a golden tabby, swiped at him with sharp claws. Biting into its leg, a dark ginger-and-white she-cat clung on fiercely. With a heavy thud, the ginger tom was flung onto the ground. Ears flat, he spat angrily as the beast loomed over him. 

“Alderleaf!” Firepaw screeched, charging down into the clearing. 

“Firepaw!” Shadowpaw called after her, as he half-ran, half-tumbled down the ravine. 

Without hesitation, the small tabby leaped and fastened herself onto the beasts snout. Roaring in fury and pain, it lunged back with its muzzle thrust in the air. The dark ginger she-cat released its leg, leaping back, the golden tabby right at her side. Not waiting for the vicious animal to regain its footing, Alderleaf rammed himself into its exposed belly. Watching in horror, Shadowpaw let out a yowl as their attacker fell onto its back. The impact caused Firepaw to lose her grip, and she was flung into the brambles. 

“Lionclaw!” the dark ginger she-cat yowled. 

“On it!” the golden tabby replied, charging into the brambles Firepaw was flung into. 

Alderleaf backed up, as the creature rolled to its paws. It turned its gaze to where Lionclaw had went after Firepaw, and began to lumber after them. Alderleaf snarled and leaped onto its back, the ginger she-cat following suit. Sagepelt was trying to get Timberfall to his paws, nudging him up. However, the brown tom was too badly wounded to move. Frozen in horror, Shadowpaw felt the world around him spin. His heart raced at the chaos around him, and his mind whirled with panic. 

“Shadowpaw!” Sagepelt's sharp mew brought him back. “Come help me!” 

Snapping his gaze towards his mentor, he shakily raced to his side. “Sagepelt!” he gasped, seeing how badly the gray tabby had been wounded. 

“Focus!” Sagepelt hissed. “We need to get Timberfall back to camp!” 

“B-But what about the others?” Shadowpaw stammered, trembling. 

Sagepelt lashed his tail. “They'll be fine! Right now Timberfall needs our help!” 

Not wanting to argue anymore, Shadowpaw silently agreed. The two toms nudged Timberfall to his paws. The wounded warrior let out a hiss of pain, almost causing Shadowpaw to leap back in fear. Sagepelt heaved him up, the two cats managing to sling him over Sagepelt's back. Shadowpaw pressed close to his mentor's flank, keeping his Clanmate's head up. Before they could get out of the clearing, Firepaw's yowl of terror stopped them in their tracks. The large, lumbering creature had her cornered. 

Shadowpaw stared in horror, the stunned body of Alderleaf laying a short distance away. Lionclaw and the ginger she-cat were slashing at the animal, but it had its beady eyes focused on Firepaw. His denmate struck out aggressively, but her eyes were wide with terror. Dashing from Sagepelt's side, Shadowpaw leaped onto its head. He dug his claws in, hanging on tightly as it shook its head in pain. He felt his claws well up with blood, before being flung back down. Managing to land on his paws, he leaped back as it crashed back down onto its paws. Blood gushed from where its right eye was, and Shadowpaw realized with horror that he had blinded the beast. Lionclaw swiped his claws across the animal's nose, before it finally relented and charged away into the forest. Lionclaw and the ginger warrior raced after it, while Shadowpaw stared in shock. 

Firepaw flattened her ears, darting to Alderleaf's side. “Alderleaf!” she yowled, staring at him with round eyes. 

Alderleaf gazed up at her. “I'm okay,” he rasped. “I'm just a bit winded.” 

Pressing her nose into his flank, she laid beside him. Shadowpaw blinked, surprised to see the feisty she-cat so terrified. Sighing with relief that the battle was over, he stared down at the blood glistening his claws. The bushes rustled behind him, and he leaped forward. Fur bristling, he arched his back in a surprised hiss—ready to defend himself from the beast they had just fought. To his relief, Lionclaw and the ginger warrior pushed their way through. 

“That badger won't be returning anytime soon,” Lionclaw rumbled, his voice a deep mew. “Foxchaser and I made sure of that.” 

Foxchaser nodded. “Alderleaf, Firepaw,” she meowed, approaching the two cats. “Are either of you hurt?” 

Alderleaf lifted his head, slowly rising to his paws. “No, just a bit winded from hitting the ground,” he answered. 

Firepaw shook her head. “I'm okay too,” she said. “Though I think I may have wrenched my shoulder from being thrown.” 

Lionclaw padded over towards Sagepelt, sniffing Timberfall's wounds carefully. “Let's return to camp,” he meowed. “Timberfall needs to see Whispersong, and quickly.” 

Foxchaser nodded her agreement, and the rest of the cats quickly made their way up the ravine. Shadowpaw started to follow after them, but was stopped by the LeafClan deputy. 

“That was a very reckless thing you did back there,” she growled, her eyes narrowed. “If that badger had turned in time, you would have easily been killed.” 

Frowning, Shadowpaw dipped his head. “I-I'm sorry...” he mewed softly. “Firepaw was in trouble, and I-” 

“That's enough,” Foxchaser cut him off. “It may have been reckless, but I cannot ignore the fact that you fought bravely. You are new to Clan life, but you still protected your Clanmate like a warrior.” 

Shocked by the deputy's praise, he gazed at her with round eyes. “R-Really?” he stammered. 

Nodding, Foxchaser turned to follow after the others. “Yes,” she said. “Perhaps Echostar's faith in you was not misplaced after all.” 

Warmed by her praise, Shadowpaw followed closely after her. As they returned to camp, Whispersong and Sleetpaw began to assess the wounded cats. Rainpaw emerged from the medicine cat den, his eyes brightening upon seeing the returned cats. Sagepelt met the dark tabby half-way, and the two touched noses in greeting. Foxchaser had went into Echostar's den, while Alderleaf and Firepaw sat close together under the Highoak. Shifting his paws awkwardly, Shadowpaw wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to do. 

“Shadowpaw,” Whispersong greeted, padding up to him. “Were you injured at all?” 

Shadowpaw shook his head. “No.” 

Dipping his head in acknowledgment, the medicine cat went to check on the others. Deciding it was best not to just sit around, Shadowpaw headed towards the apprentices' den. Exhaustion made his paws heavy, and he noticed just how tired he was from the day's events. Slipping into his nest, he parted his jaws in a wide yawn. Before he could close his eyes to sleep however, Firepaw's ginger pelt flashed at the entrance. She quietly made her way over to her nest, before turning to look at him. 

“Er, thanks for saving me earlier,” she mumbled, almost awkwardly. 

Blinking, Shadowpaw nodded. “Oh, uh, you're welcome,” he replied. “Were you hurt at all?” 

Firepaw curled up into her nest. “Not really,” she sighed. “Just a bit of a wrenched shoulder is all. Nothing too major.” 

“What about Alderleaf?” 

“He's fine too. He managed to get away without any scratches.” 

Shadowpaw yawned. “Glad to hear it,” he mewed. “You seemed pretty worried.” 

“He's my father you know,” Firepaw said. “Of course I'd be worried. He's the only family I have.” 

“Really? What about your mother? Or your littermates?” Shadowpaw asked, not really thinking. 

Firepaw was quiet for a moment, but just sighed. “Dead,” she answered quietly. “My mother died after giving birth to my littermates and I. My brother and sister were stillborn. I was the only one to live.” 

Pity and sadness for the tabby apprentice welled up in Shadowpaw's chest. He lowered his head sympathetically. “I'm so sorry,” he murmured. 

Firepaw just shrugged. “It's okay. Alderleaf is a great father, so it doesn't really matter.” 

Shadowpaw didn't know what else to say. He just frowned and curled up into a ball. Firepaw did the same, and in only a few moments did Shadowpaw hear the faint sounds of snoring coming from his Clanmate. Casting a glance at her, he couldn't help but admire the strength Firepaw seemed to have despite what she had lost. Sighing, Shadowpaw just wished he could do the same.


	8. Chapter Six

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Chapter Six

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Blood roared in Shadowpaw's ears, as the black-and-white snout of a badger snapped at his face. Fur bristled in fear, he darted deeper into the woods. The cracking of undergrowth followed, the badger lumbering quickly after him. Heart feeling like it was about to burst out of his chest, Shadowpaw skidded to a halt at a huge foggy ravine. The depths were dark and clouded with a menacing black mist. Shadowpaw could not see the bottom, no matter how hard he squinted his ice blue eyes. 

The rank stench of badger clung heavily to the still air. Shadowpaw swung his head around quickly, eyes huge. The badger was now less than two fox-lengths away, its tiny black eyes glittering with malice. Stepping back, Shadowpaw's back paw slipped into the ravine. Quickly stepping forward, he could almost feel the hot breath of the vicious beast while it rounded on him. Too terrified to think clearly, Shadowpaw realized he had one of two options. It was either leap down into the ravine, or hopelessly fight off the badger by himself. The badger loomed over him, ready to bring down its huge claws on the tiny apprentice. Shadowpaw made his choice. 

Leaping back, he fell into the foggy ravine. The darkness tugged at his fur and he let out a noiseless wail of terror. Falling and falling into the depths of the dark abyss... 

 

Shadowpaw shot up in his nest, his breath coming in sharp, panicked breaths. The stench of badger sharply filled his senses. The mottled apprentice had to take deep, shaky, breaths to relieve himself of the rank scent. Trembling from the nightmare he had just had, Shadowpaw gazed around the apprentices' den in hope of reassurance. Firepaw was not far off, her ginger pelt dark in the shadows of the den. Nearby, the snores of Rainpaw filled Shadowpaw's ears—while Yellowpaw gave an irritable grunt at her Clanmate's disruptive sleep. A black apprentice was barely visible, their flanks rising gently in rhythmic sleep. Shadowpaw realized he had not yet met them, but they appeared to be a she-cat. 

Feeling reassured by his denmates' presence, Shadowpaw tried to make himself comfortable in his nest. Each time he began to doze, the nightmare of the badger scared him awake once more. Finally giving up, Shadowpaw heaved himself to his paws with a quiet grunt. Staring out the entrance to the den, he could see the faint outlines of his Clanmate's heading out on the dawn patrol. A heavy mist hung over the clearing, and there was a soft thrumming of rain. The sky was dark gray with storm clouds, promising to not let up anytime soon. A hungry growl rumbled in Shadowpaw's stomach, reminding him how hungry he was. Flattening his ears as the rain flecked his dark tabby pelt, he sniffed around the fresh-kill pile. Most of the prey was soggy from the night's rain, and he had to dig around until he found a dry enough mouse to eat. 

Eating his prey in the shelter of a few brambles nearby, Shadowpaw was able to finish in only a few gulps. The clearing was empty, most of the cats either sleeping or hiding from the rain. Shadowpaw could see the fluffy outline of Echostar's pelt in the distance. The LeafClan leader stretched in front of the entrance of her den, before sniffing the air. A broad-shouldered sandy brown tom Shadowpaw didn't know approached the leader from the warriors' den. The two cats exchanged a few quiet words, before the warrior slipped back into the den. Moments later, two more warriors followed—one a pretty tortoiseshell she-cat, and the other a small gray-and-white she-cat. Shadowpaw watched as the small group left the clearing, tails raised up. 

Shadowpaw was focused on the small group, that he hadn't noticed his Clan leader had approached him. Flinching in surprise, he quickly sat up straight. 

Echostar's blue eyes glowed in amusement. “There is no need to be nervous,” she laughed. “I suppose I shouldn't have snuck up on you.” 

Embarrassment flooded Shadowpaw's pelt, and he looked down at his paws. “N-No...I-I-” 

Gently touching her nose to his ear in reassurance, Echostar flicked her tail. “So, how are you settling into Clan life?” 

Shadowpaw blinked. Since joining LeafClan, he had met many different cats. He had also gained Sagepelt as a mentor, and was taught parts of the Warrior Code. Sagepelt had also been patient, and explained how Clan life worked. Then Shadowpaw remembered the bloodied body of a wounded Longwhisker, and the panic Rainpaw had on his face as he returned to camp. He remembered racing through the forest with Firepaw at his side, as they searched for the patrol. The snarling of the badger, and its terrifying presence had terrified Shadowpaw. Mind whirling with all he had seen and learned the past two days, Shadowpaw shook his head. Despite the possible danger, Shadowpaw was determined to stay with his new home. 

“It's a bit overwhelming,” Shadowpaw admitted at last. “Though, I've learned so much in these past two days. I-I'd like to stay...” Catching a brief flash in Echostar's gaze, Shadowpaw quickly added, “I-If you'll let me!” 

Echostar laughed and rested her tail over his shoulders. “Of course you can!” she purred, eyes glowing amusingly. “I would have never made you an apprentice, if I had plans to chase you out.” 

Shadowpaw felt warmed by the gentle leader's kindness, and dipped his head respectfully. “I won't let you down, I promise!” 

“I should hope not!” she snorted good-humorously. “Now, off you go! I'm sure Sagepelt is looking for you by now.” 

Blinking gratefully at the calico queen, Shadowpaw bounded off. He quickly caught the sight of his mentor's gray tabby pelt slinking out of the nursery. Curious, Shadowpaw loped over to meet him. Sagepelt mewed a greeting as he approached, giving himself a long stretch. The mewling of kits could be heard from inside the nursery, and Shadowpaw couldn't help but feel tempted to peek inside. He felt a gentle nudge on his shoulder, and jumped. 

His mentor's silver eyes were gentle, and he gave a nod. Shadowpaw gave an embarrassed dip of his head, before slowly slipping inside. The den was big, and filled with the scents of warmth and milk. Nearby, he could see two queens sleeping—one of them heavily pregnant with kits. A gentle mew of welcome came from beside him. Shadowpaw looked over, realizing he had not noticed the black furred queen when he came inside. Her fur was long and soft, and her green eyes glowed like jade in the dimness of the den. Two kits were suckling from her belly—one a calico she-cat, and the other a silver tabby tom. 

The queen watched him with a warm gaze. “You must be Shadowpaw,” she said, her voice a soft and gentle mew. “Have you come to see the kits?” 

Shadowpaw gave a nod. “Y-Yes,” he said, gazing at the tiny bundles of fur. “They're beautiful,” he murmured in admiration. 

Purring, the gentle queen curled her tail around them. “Thank you,” she met his gaze once more. “My name is Hollycloud. Your mentor, Sagepelt, is my mate. These two are my kits, Redkit and Silverkit.” 

Shadowpaw's eyes widened. These were Sagepelt's kits! Gazing at them once more, he realized the silver tabby resembled his father. Hollycloud tipped her head towards the sleeping queens. “Those are the queens whom I share the nursery with,” she explained. “The ginger she-cat is Dawnrise—she is Longwhisker's mate. She'll be expecting her first litter in less than a moon's time,” she added with a purr. “The brown queen over there is called Nettleleaf. She's the mother to Duskstrike's kits—Sandkit, Brownkit, and Snowkit.” 

Shadowpaw gave a brief nod of understanding. “Thank you, Hollycloud.” 

Hollycloud purred. “It is my pleasure, little one,” her green eyes glowed with interest. “Have you met my other two kits? Sleetpaw and Rainpaw? They were from my first litter.” 

Surprised, Shadowpaw nodded. “Y-Yes,” he replied. “I met Sleetpaw briefly while Whispersong was looking after me. And I met Rainpaw before Sagepelt took me out to explore the territory.” 

The black-furred queen seemed delighted. “That's wonderful!” she purred happily. “I hope the three of you will grow to be good friends. My sons are good cats, even if Rainpaw may get too far ahead of himself sometimes!” 

Shadowpaw purred his agreement. “He seemed very excitable.” 

Suddenly, Sagepelt's head popped into the nursery entrance. “Shadowpaw, it's time to get moving.” 

Dipping his head in a respectful goodbye, Shadowpaw quickly clambered out of the entrance. Sagepelt was waiting nearby, his tabby fur glossy from the rain. As Shadowpaw approached, he gestured for his apprentice to follow him outside the camp. 

“Today we will be finishing our exploration of the territory,” he explained. “We'll be starting with the border near PineClan.” 

The two cats quickly trekked into the forests, the sounds of rain splashing against leaves filling Shadowpaw's ears. He couldn't help but grimace, as mud from puddles splashed up onto his belly fur. Sagepelt didn't seem as bothered, leaping over a fallen log with eased practice. Shadowpaw followed, but got caught midway. He slumped over the top of the log, scrambling with his back legs until he fell into a puddle below. Spitting with annoyance, Shadowpaw shook his now sodden pelt. Sagepelt was watching from not far off, eyes sparkling. Feeling hot with embarrassment, Shadowpaw flattened his ears to his head and followed his mentor deeper into the forest. 

The ground sloped slightly underpaw, and they came to stop. Just up ahead, was a large ravine separating them from a pine forest. The stench of cat drifted into his nostrils, and Shadowpaw flinched away in disgust. The scent was far different that LeafClan's, and carried more of a murky stench. Sagepelt gave a tiny _mrrow_ of laughter at his apprentice's reaction. 

“That scent is PineClan,” he told him. “Straight ahead here, is the border of their territory,” he stepped forward to stand before the ravine. “This here is what separates our Clans. Right now, you can't see the bottom because of the fog. We call it the Foggy Ravine, and unless you are an experienced warrior, you'd do best to stay away from it!” 

Shadowpaw gave a quick nod, eyes round. Carefully peeking over the edge, he nearly felt the energy drain from his body. The fore-boding darkness was all too eerily familiar, and the memory of his nightmare swarmed his senses. As if to finish what it hadn't accomplished earlier, the ground under his front paws gave way under his weight. The rain had softened the earth, making it a danger to overly-curious cats. Shadowpaw let out a yowl of terror, feeling himself plunge into the ravine below. Darkness opened its deadly arms in welcome, ready to swallow the young tom up in its hungry shadows.


	9. Chapter Seven

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**

Chapter Seven

**

****

Terror paralyzed Shadowpaw, as he felt air under his paws. Staring down at the nothingness below, he shrieked in terror. He thought of his new Clanmates, and wondered if any of them would miss him. All at once, Shadowpaw could feel the energy leaving his body. Before he could fall any further, sharp teeth bit into his scruff. Struggling to feel ground under his paws once more, Shadowpaw flailed his paws in horror. He could feel Sagepelt heaving him over the edge and away from the ravine. Dropping him with a heavy pant, Shadowpaw laid on the cold wet ground in shock. Sagepelt hovered over him, his eyes round with worry. 

“Are you alright?” Sagepelt stood over him, the fur bristled along his spine in shock. 

Shivering violently, Shadowpaw nodded his head slowly. A sigh escaped from his mentor, and he saw the gray tabby's shoulders relax. After a few moments to give his apprentice some time to recover, Sagepelt began to nudge Shadowpaw to his paws. Still shaky from his near-death experience, Shadowpaw struggled to stand on his paws again. Sagepelt shook his pelt, raindrops scattering from his fur. Lashing his tail a bit, Shadowpaw saw a cross look come across his mentor's face. 

“Mouse-brain!” he scolded, Shadowpaw flinching away from his harsh tone. “What did I say about getting too close? If I weren't quick enough, you would have been killed!” 

Shrinking to the ground in shame, Shadowpaw stared at his paws. “I-I'm sorry!” he yelped. “I-I'll stay away next time, I promise!” 

Sagepelt's expression softened, and he closed his eyes. “Good,” he responded in a long sigh. He opened his eyes, and the cross look had disappeared from his gaze. “Sorry for yelling, Shadowpaw. You just nearly scared me to death!” 

Guilt washed over him, as he gazed up at his mentor. He hadn't meant to get as close as he did, but for some reason he felt compelled to look over the edge. It was as if the memory of his dream was calling to him...telling him to travel down into the ravine's dark depths. Pushing the dark foreshadowing from his thoughts, Shadowpaw straightened up. 

“I'm sorry, Sagepelt,” he apologized at last. “I promise to be careful from now on.” 

“I should hope so!” Sagepelt snorted, flicking his tail over his apprentice's ears playfully. 

With a slight purr, Shadowpaw quickly followed his mentor further into LeafClan territory. As they trekked on, Sagepelt re-marked their borders alongside PineClan territory. Shadowpaw listened intently, as his mentor explained the importance of the Clan borders—and how they must be marked daily in order to enforce them. Despite the Clans sharing a lot of things, territory was not one of them. Cats from other Clans were not allowed to hunt or trespass into another Clan's territory, without first being challenged or chased off. After some time, Shadowpaw's paws began to feel tired from their long tour of the territory. 

“Just one more thing,” Sagepelt assured his young apprentice. 

Feeling a bit more hopeful, Shadowpaw gazed ahead of them. An ancient birch tree stood before them, it's gnarled old roots jutting out of the ground. Bushes surrounded the roots, and Shadowpaw could smell the scent of vole hiding among them. Sagepelt padded up to the tree, gazing up. Shadowpaw followed his gaze, wondering just how far the old tree stretched into the sky. Fog covered it half-way, leaving Shadowpaw's question unanswered for now. 

“This is the Old Birch Tree,” Sagepelt mewed. “A lot of apprentice's like to hunt among the bushes and roots here. Some even try to climb to the top,” he gave Shadowpaw a stern glance. “But that is completely foolish, so don't you even try it!” 

Shadowpaw nodded intently. “Yes!” 

Flicking his tail, Sagepelt lead the way down a small slope. Shadowpaw heard water bubbling in the distance, and could feel his fur bristle. His mentor hadn't noticed, and the two finally came to a stop at narrow river. The pebbly shore gave way to its brown churning water, leading away to a large marshland. Reeds crowded the edges of the river, providing cover for the fish that lived down below. Sagepelt gazed at the water a moment, before sniffing the air. 

“Seems like the water has risen from the rain,” he murmured. “I wonder how ReedClan is getting along? It seems they haven't been by this way yet.” 

Shadowpaw kept his distance, not at all eager to get close to the dark water that was lapping hungrily at the shore. “Isn't the water too deep for any cat to be near?” 

Sagepelt twitched an ear. “For most, yes,” he answered. “ReedClan, however, lives alongside the river and marshes comfortably. Their warriors swim in the water as naturally as fish.” 

“What?” Shadowpaw gaped at him in disbelief. Why would any cat want to get wet, let alone swim? 

Eyes glittering with amusement, his mentor padded back towards him. “ReedClan has always been known for their unnatural interest of water,” he explained. “We however, stay far from it!” 

Nodding vigorously, Shadowpaw agreed. There was no way he'd be going near the water anytime soon 

****

* * * *

Shadowpaw bit hungrily into a mouse as he sheltered from the rain under a holly bush. Once he returned from his tour with Sagepelt, his mentor sent him off to eat while he checked in on his kits. Swiping his tongue over his lips, Shadowpaw swallowed the last of his mouse. The camp was much more lively now, the warriors busy organizing hunting and border patrols. He spotted Rainpaw emerging from the medicine cat den, seeming much more like himself today than he had after returning to camp the previous afternoon. 

“How's Timberfall and Longwhisker?” Shadowpaw asked, once Rainpaw was in earshot. 

The dark gray tabby bounded over to him, his tail up. “Whispersong said they'll both heal in no time!” he chirped. “Longwhisker still looked a bit rough, but at least he's be able to move around more.” 

Shadowpaw purred. “That's great!” he mewed, before worry began to jab at him like a thorn. “I just hope the badger won't come back any time soon.” 

Rainpaw gave a huff. “No way!” he protested. “If anything, it's PineClan's problem now!” 

Shadowpaw hoped his friend was right. “How's Firepaw?” 

“As restless as a hare in a fox den!” he replied, his eyes glimmering with mischief. “Whispersong confined her to camp for the next two days. He wants to make sure her shoulder heals properly.” 

Shadowpaw could imagine the feisty ginger apprentice complaining about being stuck in camp. He purred amusingly to himself. Lionclaw yowled from across the clearing then, and Rainpaw gave Shadowpaw a friendly flick of his tail as he raced off to join the golden tabby. Stretching, Shadowpaw stood and gazed around the camp. He couldn't help but notice Firepaw limp over to the medicine cat den, worry instantly prickling his pelt. Had the ginger apprentice managed to hurt herself further? Deciding to find out for himself, he made his way over to the hollowed log. 

A strong stench nearly floored the mottled apprentice, and he reared back as if he had been struck. He had never smelled a stench so foul in his life. Wrinkling his nose in disgust, he peered into the den. Firepaw was holding a small stick with a wad of moss on the other end. It was soaked with slimy yellow goop. Whispersong was watching her with sparkle in his eye, and Shadowpaw could safely assume the medicine cat was enjoying himself. Upon seeing Shadowpaw watching from the entrance, Firepaw carefully placed the foul smelling stick at her paws. 

“Shadowpaw?” Whispersong mewed. “Is there something I can help you with?” 

Shaking his head, Shadowpaw glanced at the moss. “What is _that?_ ” 

Firepaw wrinkled her nose. “Mouse bile,” she answered. “I have to check the elders for ticks, since I can't go on any patrols,” she cast a resentful glance at Whispersong. 

“Why use that?” Shadowpaw wondered. He couldn't imagine any cat would enjoy having the foul smelling stuff near them. 

Whispersong shrugged. “The ticks seem to dislike the stuff as much as we do.” 

“Right,” Firepaw meowed, picking the stick back up. She gestured with her tail for Shadowpaw to follow. 

The two apprentices left the medicine cat den, and headed to the old hollowed out tree trunk that sheltered the elders. A light brown tom was curled up comfortably in his nest, gazing at them with old silver eyes. He gave a rasping mew in greeting to the apprentices as they approached. A black she-cat with a distinctive white chest tuft and tail, stopped her grooming to gaze at them. 

“Well, if it isn't young Firepaw and the rogue apprentice!” the she-cat croaked sourly. 

Shadowpaw reared back, feeling struck. So far all the cats in the Clan he had met were very welcoming, but the hostile yellow gaze in the old she-cat's eyes told otherwise. The silver tabby beside her flattened his ears and gave a low growl. 

“That's no way to be, Frosttail!” he rumbled. “Shadowpaw will make a fine warrior.” 

Frosttail spit at her denmate crossly. “Since when do rogues join our Clan?” she demanded hotly. “Or are we going to start recruiting kittypets too?” 

Firepaw dropped her stick, her blue eyes blazing. “Who asked you, you old fleabag?” she spat, defending her denmate. “You should be grateful either of us are even bothering to come check your old mangy pelt for ticks!” 

Shadowpaw stared at her in horror, remembering what Sagepelt had told him about respecting the elders. Clearly Firepaw wasn't going to let the retired warrior's sharp jabs slide. The two she-cats locked gazes, their eyes smoldering with fury. Shouldering between them both, a tan tabby she-cat lashed her tail irritably. She looked the youngest of the elders, having obviously retired not long ago. The dark brown splotch of fur on her chest was puffed out assertively. 

“That's enough you two!” she meowed sternly. “Firepaw, you need to learn to hold your tongue! Speaking to an elder that way is against the warrior code, and you know it,” she snapped. Whisking her head around to face Frosttail—whose yellow eyes were gleaming with a surge of triumph—the she-cat added. “And Frosttail, you should be still be respectful of your Clanmates. Do you dare challenge Echostar's decision to allow Shadowpaw to join our Clan? Last I checked you weren't our leader!” 

Shrinking away with a defiant hiss, Frosttail muttered to herself as she moved to the back of the den. The silver tabby from before gave a contemptuous snort. “Don't mind her,” he grunted, casting an accusing glance at the black she-cat. “She always has a burr in her pelt. Don't take anything she says to heart young one.” 

Feeling uncomfortable with all the tension crackling in the air, Shadowpaw shifted his paws uneasily. The youngest elder heaved a sigh, dipping her head to Firepaw. “Well young one, I assume you didn't bring that mouse bile here for no reason!” she mewed. “I have a nasty tick on my right shoulder, just where I can't reach.” 

Still smoldering with fury, Firepaw grudgingly lifted the stick and began to part through the elder's thick brown fur. Shadowpaw watched carefully, in case he was chosen next to check for ticks. Keeping the fur parted, Firepaw cautiously dabbed the bile soaked moss onto the fat tick. Within moments, it fell to the ground. The elder let out a sigh. 

“Ah, much better!” she purred. She looked over at Shadowpaw. “Oh right, you aren't familiar with all of the Clan just yet, are you?” 

Shadowpaw shook his head. 

Nodding, she pointed her tail over to the black elder from before. “As you may have guessed, that one over there is Frosttail. The silver tabby tom beside her is Jayeyes, and the brown tom Firepaw is checking now is Birchclaw,” she pointed at herself with her paw. “My name is Oaktuft. I just recently joined the elders' den about three moons ago.” 

Shadowpaw politely dipped his head in greeting. “It's nice to meet you,” he said, looking around the four cats until his gaze rested on Frosttail. “All of you.” 

Oaktuft curled her tail over her paws. “It is nice to meet you as well,” she purred. “Despite what some of us may think, I can see potential in you. Stay loyal to the Clan, and work hard. Believe me, you won't go unrewarded.” 

Birchclaw sniffed. “That is, as long as you don't let this one here drag you along on any crazy adventures!” he let out a hiss. “Hey, watch it with the claws, you!” 

“Oops, guess I forgot to sheathe my claws. Sorry,” Firepaw apologized dryly, although she didn't look or sound the least bit apologetic. 

Once Firepaw had finished searching them for ticks, she let out an exasperated sigh. _“Finally!”_

“Well, you'd better go wash your paws now! Don't you even think about fetching fresh bedding with that vile scent all over your claws!” Oaktuft ordered, making herself cozy in her nest. 

Rolling her eyes, Firepaw picked up the stick with Shadowpaw right behind her. He waited outside of the medicine cat den as she dropped it off, before following her along the path towards the ReedClan border. Standing a ways back as she washed her paws off, Shadowpaw dreaded the day he too would have to wash his paws in the cold, dark water. Finished, Firepaw began to limp back towards him. 

“Is your shoulder starting to hurt again?” he asked. “I can fetch the moss if you want-” 

“No,” Firepaw cut him off sharply. More gently she added, “It'd be best if I did it. You still don't know how to check the bedding for thorns and to make sure it's dry enough. I can just imagine Frosttail yowling now if you brought back anything less than perfect!” 

Understanding his friend made a good point, he tipped his head to the side. “Then what if I bring them prey while you gather bedding?” he suggested. “It'll be less work for your shoulder.” 

Purring gratefully, Firepaw limped past him. “I would appreciate it, thanks Shadowpaw!” 

He watched the tabby apprentice limp off, before heading back to camp. Grabbing the driest and plumpest looking prey he could find off the fresh-kill pile, he carried enough for each of the elder's to eat. Before he could deliver it, he was cut off by Alderleaf—Firepaw's father. He blinked curiously at the older warrior, wondering why he had stopped him. 

“I'll take these to the elders,” he meowed casually. “Sagepelt wanted you to attend a hunting lesson with Yellowpaw and Ivypaw. That is, if you aren't too worn out from your tour today.” 

Determined to not seem weak, despite the weariness in his paws, Shadowpaw shook his head. Letting Alderleaf take the prey from him, he darted off to join Sagepelt who waited patiently at the camp entrance. Following his mentor out of camp, Shadowpaw couldn't help but feel he was being watched. Glancing over his shoulder, he could see nothing but the forest and raindrops scattering about. Everything—from the bird call in the trees, to the scent of of prey in the brambles—told Shadowpaw all was normal. However, he couldn't shake the sense of foreboding darkness threatening to creep up and steal him away like a kit in the nursery. For the first time, Shadowpaw prayed to StarClan that his sense was wrong.


	10. Chapter Eight

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**

Chapter Eight

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****

Shadowpaw sniffed the moist air, the gentle thrumming of rain having begun to let up. Sagepelt was up ahead, Briarpool—a brown tabby she-cat—and Yellowpaw's mentor, just beside him. Rainpaw was bouncing excitedly next to Amberfur—a pretty tortoiseshell she-cat, who had taken over his training until Timberfall recovered. Yellowpaw gave a hiss of annoyance beside Shadowpaw, shaking her paws free from a deep puddle. 

“We'll all turn into ReedClan cats at this rate,” the golden tabby muttered. 

Shadowpaw gave a tiny mew in agreement. After his tour with Sagepelt, and helping Firepaw with the elders, his fur was soaked tightly to his skin. The mud was caked in his paws, making him cringe at having to pick it out later. Rainpaw didn't seem to share his denmates disdain. He was bouncing around with excitement, as if he was ready to go bounding off at any moment. The group of cats had reached the Old Birch Tree, the sound of the river nearby all too close for Shadowpaw's comfort. Digging his claws into the rain-soaked earth, he flattened his ears uncomfortably. 

“So what do we hunt?” Rainpaw paced, looking around. 

Amberfur narrowed her amber eyes sternly. “If you will sit still, perhaps we could tell you.” 

Briarpool gave her pelt a shake. “Right then,” she started, coming to stand beside Amberfur. “We'll be starting with basic hunting crouches and techniques.” 

“What? But we went over those yesterday!” Yellowpaw complained. 

“And you'll be learning them again today!” Briarpool growled. Yellowpaw lowered her gaze with an indignant mutter. Ignoring her apprentice, Briarpool looked over at Sagepelt. “Sagepelt, would you like to start the lesson?” 

Nodding, Sagepelt stepped forward. He gave a slight wave of his tail to draw the apprentices a bit closer to watch. Shadowpaw slipped in beside Rainpaw, watching his mentor closely. Sagepelt began to go into the basic position for stalking a mouse or a vole. The gray tabby slowly slid his body just a hair from the ground, his haunches raised. His tail was low, but high enough from the ground to not stir up the leaves. Ears flat, he began to creep forward. Shadowpaw watched in awe, amazed by just how silently his mentor was moving. Suddenly, with a huge leap forward, he landed squarely on a leaf. 

Waving his tail, Sagepelt flicked his gaze towards them. “Alright then,” he mewed. “Who wants to try first?” 

Rainpaw bounced forward. “I do!” 

Purring amusingly at his son, Sagepelt stepped back to give him room. “Give it a try then.” 

Almost instinctively, Rainpaw fell into the same position. Smoothly, he slid forward until he was close to the leaf. A surge of triumph flickered in his eyes, before he leaped and landed on the leaf. He gave a tiny yowl of accomplishment, tail waving excitedly. “How did I do?” he asked his father, eyes shining. 

“You did well,” Sagepelt purred, briefly nuzzling the dark apprentice. “Now then, Yellowpaw?” 

Yellowpaw stepped forward, the displeasure she had earlier having been replaced by concentration. She successfully followed the same steps, gracefully landing on the leaf. Briarpool gave a nod of approval, the young tabby's eyes glowing. Sagepelt looked over at Shadowpaw, nodding for him to begin. Swallowing nervously, he slowly walked over. 

Trying to recall Sagepelt's movements, and then the same being repeated by his denmates, Shadowpaw closed his eyes. Once he got a clear plan set up in his head, he started. Slowly lowering himself to the ground, he started to skim the surface. Haunches raised and ears alert, he pressed forward. Just as he went to prepare his leap, his tail rustled the leaves under him. As if a piece of startled prey, the leaf was blown away into the air by the wind. Crestfallen, Shadowpaw stood up disappointingly. To his relief, his mentor's gaze was thoughtful and understanding. 

“You did well with your crouch,” he observed. “However, you have to keep in mind where your tail is. If it's too low, it'll stir up the undergrowth and give away your position.” 

Shadowpaw nodded, feeling a little better. “Okay Sagepelt.” 

“Why don't you give Shadowpaw some more time to practice?” Amberfur suggested. “When you think he's ready, he can join the rest of us in hunting.” 

Sagepelt nodded. “Okay,” he agreed. “Where should we meet?” 

“Why don't we meet near the PineClan border?” Briarpool mewed. 

“Okay, we'll meet there then.” 

Shadowpaw watched the others race off, feeling a tiny pang of disappointment. Sagepelt gently touched his flank with his tail, before they began to work again at Shadowpaw's hunting crouch. After some time had passed, Shadowpaw felt much more confident. His mentor seemed just a pleased, his gaze suddenly shooting to the side. Curious, Shadowpaw followed his gaze. A plump vole scrabbled among the roots of the Old Birch Tree. Looking at his mentor, Shadowpaw's eyes lit up when Sagepelt gave him a nod. 

Quickly getting into his hunter's crouch, Shadowpaw felt his body naturally slip into position. Carefully creeping forward, he made a conscious effort to keep his tail up. The vole didn't seem to notice Shadowpaw, nibbling at a seed it had found. Wiggling his haunches, he quickly lunged forward. The vole saw him and went to scurry away, but Shadowpaw was quicker. He landed on top of it, biting into its spine. It gave a feeble jolt, before going limp. Energy surged through Shadowpaw's paws. He just caught his first prey! 

Sagepelt bounded towards him, his eyes glowing. “Great job!” he purred. “We'll make a hunter into you yet!” 

Pelt glowing with his mentor's praise, Shadowpaw proudly picked the vole up in his teeth. Sagepelt showed him how they buried prey until they were done, and the two cats left it carefully hidden as they went to join the others. A sudden scent hit Shadowpaw's nose, and he stopped. Sagepelt glanced back at him curiously. 

“Shadowpaw? What is it?” he asked. 

Shadowpaw blinked and looked back at his mentor. “I think I smell something,” he replied. “Is it okay if I try to go catch it?” 

Sagepelt tipped his head thoughtfully, but just gave a nod. “Very well,” he decided. “But don't go too far! Remember the boundaries.” 

“I will!” Shadowpaw called over his shoulder, as he pushed through the bushes. 

The scent was stronger through the bushes. Shadowpaw concentrated, trying to figure out what it was. It had a musky smell, filled with the scent of the forest—but something hid under it, a sharp odor he recognized. Shadowpaw felt his rise along his spine. The smell was definitely cat! Frowning, he looked around. There was no other cat in sight, and it didn't seem to smell of either PineClan or ReedClan. A crackle nearby made him spin around. As he began to creep forward towards the bushes he heard it from, a shadow shot out. Shadowpaw let out a brief yowl of shock as the shadow crashed into him head on. Tumbling back while trying to fight off his attacker, Shadowpaw could barely make out what it was he was fighting. A sharp blow to his side made his gasp for air, as he fell to the ground. Gasping, he could feel the air leave his lungs. 

The shadow hovered over him, its piercing blue eyes gazing down at him. Struggling to get his breath back, Shadowpaw feebly squirmed under the weight of its paws. The scent filled his nose even stronger now, and Shadowpaw was hit with a pang of realization. He was being attacked by another cat! He lifted his head to let out a warning yowl, but his muzzle was quickly pushed back down forcefully by the strange cat's paw. 

“Be quiet!” it hissed. “You're not hurt, you're just winded.” 

Confusion whirled into his mind. Just who _was_ this cat? Gazing back up, he noticed the cat's pelt was streaked with mud. Was the stranger hoping to hide their scent by covering themselves in mud? Is that why the patrol hadn't noticed them? If that was the case, then why had _he_ noticed? Feeling the air slowly began to fill his lungs, Shadowpaw gave a sharp heave upwards. The stranger fell back with a surprised yowl. Shadowpaw leaped back, arching his back in a hiss. Whoever this stranger was, he was not going to let them think he was weak! 

The strange cat's icy gaze glowed. “Ah, so I was right!” 

Shadowpaw flinched back, surprised by the sudden change in the cat's mood. Upon closer inspection, he could see that they were a she-cat. Under their mud streaked pelt, he could make out their dark gray pelt and black tipped ears. 

“Hm? What's this?” the she-cat mewed, stepping forward and sniffing his pelt. 

Bristling, Shadowpaw leaped to the side. “You're in LeafClan territory!” he spat, though his body was beginning to tremor. 

Looking a bit perplexed, the she-cat lashed her tail. “Stupid furball!” she hissed. “Have you already forgotten who I am?” 

Shadowpaw gaped at her, completely lost. “Huh?” 

“So you _have_ forgotten!” she spat accusingly. “It's me, Cinder! Your _sister!_ Remember now you stupid mouse-brain?” 

Sister? Shadowpaw stared at her as if she spouted another head. Did he even _have_ a sister? Shadowpaw couldn't remember anything past waking up in Whispersong's den a few days ago. Cinder lashed her tail, pacing around him. 

“And you smell horrible!” she growled, disgustedly. “What have you been rolling in? Fox-dung? Blegh!” 

“I-I already said!” Shadowpaw defended himself. “I belong to LeafClan! And you're trespassing!” 

Cinder snorted. “Pfft! Don't make me laugh!” she snapped. “You're no Clan cat, Shadow!” 

Shadowpaw froze. The only cats who knew Shadowpaw's real name were Whispersong and Echostar. How did this strange she-cat who called herself his sister know something he had not told anyone else? “M-My name is Shadowpaw!” he stammered. 

“Oh, so now you're going to tell me you're part of this _LeafClan_ now, are you?” Cinder sneered mockingly. Her eyes darkened when he just stared at her in silence. “Oh give me a break! You know as well as I do they don't just accept random cats!” 

Shadowpaw shook his head. “L-Look,” he mewed nervously. “You can't be here! And I need to get back to my mentor-” 

Cinder lashed her tail. “Did you knock your head on something when you fell into the river?” she growled. “You're acting like you don't even know me!” 

Staring at his paws, Shadowpaw murmured, “I don't...” 

The dark gray she-cat stared at him in shock. Suddenly her gaze seemed to soften a bit. “So you _really_ don't remember me? This isn't some sort of joke?” 

Shadowpaw looked up at her and met her gaze. “I really don't. Even if I did know you once,” he replied honestly. “I-I don't remember anything...except my real name...” 

“So that's why you haven't returned home,” Cinder murmured. “The others thought you were dead after you fell into the river.” 

_Fell into the river? Is_ that _the reason I was by ReedClan territory?_ Shadowpaw searched the she-cat's gaze, wondering just how much she knew. Her ice blue gaze revealed nothing. “T-That's where LeafClan found me,” he mewed quietly. 

Cinder touched her nose to his. “Well, you're alive. That's all that matters,” she said gently. “Now I can take you back home, and-” 

Shadowpaw backed away from her. “I-I can't!” he protested, his eyes round. “This is my home!” 

Flinching back as if she had been struck, Cinder stared at him with a look of disbelief. “This isn't your home!” she argued. “You're home is back in the gorge!” 

“B-But I-” Shadowpaw started. 

Cinder went to say something more, but stopped when she heard Sagepelt calling for him. She gave a hiss of irritation. “Look,” she said in a lowered voice. “If you want to know everything, meet me back here at midnight!” she turned and dashed off. 

Shadowpaw stared after her. “W-Wait!” he called, but the mysterious she-cat had already disappeared. 

Feeling utterly lost and confused, Shadowpaw could barely believe what had just happened. Only the last words whispered by his supposed sister, _If you want to know everything, meet me back here at midnight,_ echoed through his ears.


	11. Chapter Nine

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Chapter Nine

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Moonlight seeped through the bramble walls of the apprentices' den. Shadowpaw laid in his nest, curled up with his eyes focused on the entrance to the den. Around him his denmates were sound asleep, tightly curled up into soft mounds of fur. Since returning to camp just before evening, Shadowpaw had been restless and filled with immense guilt. When Sagepelt went back for him, Shadowpaw had lied about losing the vole. Worried that his keen mentor would sniff out Cinder, Shadowpaw hurriedly left the small clearing. Sagepelt hadn't questioned him, simply just rejoining the border patrol with his apprentice. Upon returning to camp from their patrol, the young apprentice felt guilt-ridden and on edge. When Firepaw had offered to share a rabbit with him, he politely refused and made straight for his nest. 

Breathing a quiet sigh, Shadowpaw glanced over at his sleeping denmates. Making sure each of them were asleep, he slowly rose to his paws and slipped out of the den. After returning to his nest earlier, he had made the decision to meet Cinder at midnight. Now all he had to do was sneak out of camp without being noticed. Luckily for him, his dark mottled tabby pelt blended in with the shadows—giving him enough cover to sneak along the edge of the camp wall. No cat seemed to stir, the grassy clearing turned silver in the moonlight. He could hear quiet murmurs from the entrance of camp, and he quickly dived into a tiny clump of brambles. 

To his relief, the murmurs didn't seem to get closer. _Maybe it's just night guards Echostar has set,_ Shadowpaw assured himself. _If that's the case, I'd better leave through the dirt place tunnel._ Belly just barely skimming the ground, Shadowpaw crept behind the nursery. Slipping through the narrow bramble tunnel, he pulled himself up and into the dirt place. Shaking his fur free of any bramble burs, Shadowpaw trotted near the entrance of camp. Carefully slipping under some bushes, he peered out in front of him. In the dim moonlight he could make out the tortoiseshell pelt of Amberfur, and the thick golden tabby pelt of Lionclaw. Just as Shadowpaw had guessed, the two warriors were on night duty. 

Steadily slipping back out of the bush, he quietly padded further into LeafClan territory. Once he was no longer in his Clanmates line of sight, Shadowpaw crossed and headed straight for the clearing just south of the PineClan border. Shoving through the bushes and stumbling out into the tiny clearing, Shadowpaw gazed around. There was no sign of the gray flecked she-cat he had met earlier. Fur bristling along his spine, Shadowpaw could feel his guilt even more. He was breaking the warrior code for even being here! Anxiety threatened to sweep him away as well. His ears were perked, listening for sounds of his Clanmates in case they were out hunting late. Hunching over, Shadowpaw flattened his ears to his head. _Where is she?_ He thought with a lash of his tail. 

As if to answer his question, nearby bushes rustled and Cinder stepped out into the clearing. Her pelt wasn't covered in mud this time, instead her gray flecked fur glimmered like silver in the moonlight. Blue eyes shining as bright as ice, Cinder confidently strode over and touched her nose to his in greeting. Shadowpaw returned her greeting with a quiet mew, and stood up. 

“So you came,” Cinder's eyes were glowing. “I knew you would.” 

Shadowpaw shook his head. “Only this once,” he told her. “Whatever it is you need to tell me, please tell me now. I don't want my Clan to-” 

Fury darkened his sister's eyes. “The Clans!” she spat with venom. “You must have really lost your memory to even _consider_ being with those flea bitten fools!” 

Flinching back, Shadowpaw stared at her with shock. Clearly the young she-cat wasn't fond of the Clans, but why? Taking a tiny breath of air, Shadowpaw met her gaze steadily. “Whatever your reasons are for hating the Clans, I can't agree with you,” he rose his tail for silence when he saw her open her jaws to protest. “Maybe they were my enemy before I lost my memory, but they saved my life. That's all I remember them ever doing. I owe my life to LeafClan, and I'm not about to turn my back on them.” 

She gave an angry snort of contempt. “So you're just going to turn your back on your own kin?” Cinder hissed. “What about our mother, Shadow? Have you completely forgotten her too? Do you even realize how much your disappearance has hurt her?” 

Shadowpaw blinked. He had never even thought about how hurt his own family may have been. Even though he didn't remember anything aside from his name, Shadowpaw felt a tight knot of guilt in his stomach. Was going home with Cinder the only chance he had to see his family again? To regain his memory even? Regardless, Shadowpaw was reluctant to leave the Clan that had been so kind to him for the past few days. And what about Sagepelt? What about Firepaw? Surely he couldn't just leave them behind to venture into the unknown? 

Cinder seemed to sense his doubts, the fury in her eyes dying. “Shadow,” she said, her tone more even now. “Is this what you really want? To stay here with these Clan cats?” 

Shadowpaw stared down at his paws. “I-I don't know,” he admitted. “I really like being a part of LeafClan. But I also don't know anything about myself or where I came from. Oh Cinder, what should I do? If you're really my sister, surely you'd tell me more?” 

His sister's bright blue gaze was brimmed with an unexplained emotion, before she turned away abruptly. “I'm sorry Shadow,” she apologized, in barely more than a whisper. “I can't tell you anymore unless you agree to come back home.” 

Dismayed, Shadowpaw stepped forward. “Why not?” he asked, his eyes searching her face for any clues. “You should know I can't just leave LeafClan!” 

Cinder shook her head, stepping back. “It's the order I was given,” she growled, a guarded expression clouding her eyes. “And unless you come back home, I can't guarantee your safety within the Clans.” 

“What?” Shadowpaw gasped, his fur bristling in fear. “What do you mean? Is something going to happen to me? To the Clans?” 

Turning away sharply, Cinder began to pad away. She glanced over her shoulder, her blue eyes burning with a cold fury. “You'll find out soon enough. Goodbye, Shadow.” 

Shadowpaw stared after his sister, as she thrust her way into the bushes. In an instant, she was swallowed up into the shadows, leaving the young LeafClan apprentice alone. Confused and scared, Shadowpaw trembled as he went to head back to camp. Should he warn Echostar? If he did, she would want to know where he heard Cinder's ominous warning from. He couldn't just tell his leader that he snuck out of camp, and got the message from his supposed sister! So just what was he supposed to do? Shadowpaw knew that he was on his own, and that he could tell no cat what he was told by Cinder. But was it the right choice? Could he really keep such a dangerous secret from his adopted Clan? 

Sighing heavily, Shadowpaw started back towards camp with heavy paws. A sudden rustle in the undergrowth a few tail-lengths away jerked him from his thoughts. For a brief moment, Shadowpaw wondered if his wayward sister had decided to come back. His hopes were suddenly crushed, when he recognized the ginger pelt of his denmate emerge from the brambles. 

_“Firepaw!”_


	12. Chapter Ten

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Chapter Ten

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Firepaw glared at Shadowpaw accusingly, her tail tip twitching as she prowled towards him. Her dark blue eyes were blazing into his pelt, and Shadowpaw felt guilt weigh like a stone in his belly. Not able to meet her gaze, he flinched away. It was obvious Firepaw had caught him talking with Cinder. _What was I supposed to do?_ Shadowpaw held back from wailing aloud. Steadily lifting his gaze to meet Firepaw's, Shadowpaw tried to keep himself from trembling. 

“Firepaw,” he began, trying to find words to explain what had happened. 

Firepaw quickly silenced him with a glare. “Save it,” she growled, Shadowpaw shifting his gaze to his paws. “I saw what happened. Did you really think no one would catch you sneaking out of camp?” 

Fear turning his blood to ice, Shadowpaw tensed. “The others saw?” 

Firepaw snorted. “No,” she snapped, Shadowpaw feeling himself relax in relief. “But if they _had,_ ” she went on. “Echostar would have tore your fur off and left it for the foxes!” 

“What?” Shadowpaw gasped in disbelief. “Echostar would really do something like that?” He pictured his own mottled tabby pelt being torn from his skin, shuddering the thought away. There was no way Echostar would be that cruel or vicious. _I hope,_ Shadowpaw added silently. 

Clearly ignoring his inner turmoil about Echostar, Firepaw gazed at the bushes Cinder had disappeared into. “Care to explain?” she asked, though he could tell it was more demanding than asking. 

Shadowpaw stared at her worriedly. Firepaw rolled her eyes. “I'm not going to rat you out,” she promised. Her gaze darkened and she added, “Unless I have to.” 

“Of course you won't!” Shadowpaw spat defensively. Sighing, he relaxed. “It wasn't that sort of meeting, I promise.” 

Firepaw sat down, watching him expectantly with a glimmer of curiosity in her eyes. “Well, what was it then?” 

Shadowpaw stared at her for a few moments, thinking of his word choices carefully. “Yesterday, while I was out hunting with Sagepelt, I heard a noise near here,” he started. “I told Sagepelt I heard something, and I thought it had been a mouse or a vole. So once Sagepelt said it was fine if I went after it, he headed towards the PineClan border with the others.” 

“Let me guess, but it wasn't prey,” Firepaw cut in. “It was that she-cat.” 

Fur bristling with a tiny bit of irritation, Shadowpaw went on. “Yes, it was,” he answered a bit sharply. “She burst out of the bushes and ambushed me. Before I could yowl an alarm, she stunned me by using some weird trick with her forepaw. She was covered in mud, which hid any scent to alert the patrols.” 

Firepaw's eyes narrowed. “Which means she planning to wait there undetected.” 

Shadowpaw nodded. “That's what I had guessed too. She let me go, and started asking all sorts of questions,” he frowned. “She clearly knew who I was. When I admitted I didn't know her, she angrily declared she was my sister. She also said that I had an accident, and fell into the river—that she had been searching for me since.” 

Shadowpaw met his Clanmates gaze, relieved to see them narrow thoughtfully. “Do _you_ think she was your sister?” 

He shook his head. Shadowpaw hadn't had time to really process this new information. If Cinder was telling the truth, and they were kin, did that mean he would have to leave LeafClan? Is that what he really wanted? Firepaw was watching him, clearly waiting for his answer. Shadowpaw sighed. “I-I'm not sure,” he admitted. “I really don't remember anything about my past.” _Or who I really am,_ he added silently. 

“Well, if I were you,” Firepaw sighed. She brushed past him back towards camp, and looked over her shoulder. “I would be careful. She might seem innocent enough, but you can _never_ trust a rogue.” 

Shadowpaw blinked, surprised the darkness gathered in Firepaw's blue eyes. Was she that distrustful of rogues? Shaking his head, he fell into step beside her. “I believe you,” he murmured. 

Firepaw's gaze was set ahead of them. “Good,” she replied, not taking her eyes off the path. “Don't mention this to anyone either. If you really want to fit in with the Clan, you need to start acting like you can be trusted.” 

Flinching back, a bit stung, Shadowpaw watched as his denmate bounded away back towards camp. Indignation flared up in his chest. _I can be trusted_! He growled. _Just you wait and see!_

 

Morning light filtered into the spaces of the bramble ceiling, dappling the apprentices' den with golden light. Shadowpaw grunted tiredly, forcing his eyes open. After he returned to camp, he collapsed into his nest and fell asleep quickly. As he sat up in his nest, he noticed the other apprentices weren't in the den. _I must be the last one to wake up,_ he decided. Giving himself a nice long stretch, he clambered out of the bramble den. The sun was high in the sky, and the camp was buzzing with afternoon activity. 

Just outside the nursery, Shadowpaw recognized Nettleleaf. She was watching her three kits scuffle in a play fight, her green eyes glowing warmly. Beside her, Dawnrise was basking herself in the warm sunlight—her round pregnant belly loping sideways. Whispersong was sorting herbs outside the medicine cat den, explaining to Sleetpaw what each one was—the fluffy gray apprentice eagerly looking on. Lionclaw, Alderleaf, Briarpool, and Yellowpaw were returning to camp with fresh-kill in their jaws. To Shadowpaw, it seemed as though everything was normal. Looking around for his mentor, he caught a glimpse of gray tabby fur emerging from the warriors' den. Sagepelt dipped his head to Shadowpaw in greeting. 

“Good morning,” Sagepelt greeted. “Today we're going to do some battle training with Cloudflight and Firepaw.” 

Excitement and nervousness pulsed through his pelt. “Great!” Shadowpaw gave a tiny bounce. “Are we going now?” 

His mentor nodded, leading the way out of camp. “Cloudflight and Firepaw should be in the hollow already,” he mewed. 

As the two cats reached the hollow pit, Shadowpaw could see Firepaw's orange tabby pelt bright as flame in the sunlight. She was pacing back and forth impatiently, before her mentor snapped at her to sit still. Ignoring the white furred warrior, Firepaw leaped down into the pit upon seeing them. 

“Finally!” she yowled. “What took you so long?” 

Sagepelt purred, clearly not bothered by the fiery apprentice. “Patience is a virtue young warrior.” 

Firepaw snorted and muttered something under her breath. Cloudflight leaped down beside her apprentice. “Are we ready then?” she asked. 

“Yes,” the gray warrior replied, nudging Shadowpaw into the hollow pit. 

Stumbling, the mottled apprentice quickly gained his footing again. “What will we do first?” 

Cloudflight raised her muzzle in thought. “Hm, I think defensive moves would be best for your first lesson. What do you think, Sagepelt?” 

Eyes glowing with approval, he gave a nod. “Great idea. First, have Firepaw attack Shadowpaw,” he instructed, while Firepaw's eyes glinted. “Shadowpaw, you'll try to keep her from attacking you.” 

Swallowing nervously, Shadowpaw nodded. “O-Okay,” he mewed. “But how do I do that exactly?” 

Sagepelt sat on the edge of the hollow, Cloudflight beside him. “Do what your instincts tell you,” his mentor replied. “I want to see what you might know already.” 

Firepaw crouched down at the edge of the pit, her eyes narrowed. Shadowpaw met her gaze, flinching from the hostility in it. She obviously was still angry about the night before. _Great, she's going to kill me before I can even defend myself!_ He wailed inwardly. Tensing his shoulders, he mimicked her crouch. Trying to think of which way she would dive first, Shadowpaw didn't notice Firepaw had already sprung at him. With a surprised yowl, she bowled him over and the two tumbled backwards. Flailing his paws to try and tear her off, Firepaw ignored him and leaped back pinning a paw on his throat. 

“I win!” she yowled triumphantly. 

Growling with frustration, Shadowpaw pushed her off. “Yeah, by nearly choking me to death!” he muttered to himself. 

Sagepelt dipped his head to the ginger apprentice. “You had a very nice leap,” he praised, Firepaw glowing with pride. “However, you also left yourself open to an easy counter-attack.” 

“Think first before you attack,” Cloudflight chimed in. “In battle, you must always be alert to your surroundings.” 

Firepaw didn't seem daunted by the criticism. She kneaded her paws anxiously into the sandy earth. “Can I try it again?” 

Cloudflight nodded. “Yes, but this time I'll be your partner.” 

“Okay!” Firepaw chirped, dashing to the other side of the hollow with her mentor. 

Sagepelt walked a few fox-lengths away. Raising his tail, his silver eyes glinting. “Shadowpaw,” he meowed. “I want to see what offensive moves you have. So this time, you'll be the one attacking.” 

Shadowpaw shivered. Even if it was just practice, the thought of attacking his mentor bothered him. Remembering to keep his claws sheathed, he braced himself for his attack. _I'm smaller, and probably faster than him,_ he narrowed his eyes in concentration. _So I should somehow use it to my advantage._ Sagepelt watched him, his shoulders bunched to counter attack. Taking a deep breath, Shadowpaw charged towards his mentor. He ducked as the gray warrior swiped a sharp blow, leaping forward to overtake the bigger tom. Sagepelt seemed to already predict this, and countered by leaping sideways and knocking the apprentice's paws out from under him. Shadowpaw landed on his back, quickly twisting to the side as Sagepelt brought his paws down on him. Puffing, Shadowpaw stared as his mentor nodded, relaxing himself. 

“You did great for your first try,” Sagepelt purred approvingly. “You'll definitely become a formidable warrior with the right training!” 

Warmed by his praise, Shadowpaw lifted his head proudly. “Your really think so?” 

Sagepelt gently flicked his tail over his ears, turning to walk further away. “Of course,” he told him. “Now, let's work on some of the basics.” 

 

Shadowpaw felt battered and exhausted by the time he finished training with Sagepelt. Firepaw on the other hand, still looked full of energy and eager to keep going. _Just what sort of creature is she?_ He shivered, staring at her. The four cats were still in the hollow, and were preparing to leave. As Sagepelt led the way towards the edge, a summoning yowl rang through the trees. Cloudflight swerved her gaze towards some nearby bracken, as a small gray-and-white she-cat plunged through. 

“Softstep!” Sagepelt blinked. “What's going on?” 

Softstep stared at them, her deep blue eyes darkened with worry. “Echostar is calling a meeting,” she reported. “She wants all cats back in the camp.” 

Not waiting to ask questions, she turned and disappeared back into the forest. Sagepelt followed after her, Shadowpaw right behind him. Firepaw and Cloudflight brought up the rear. Glancing at his mentor, Shadowpaw realized Sagepelt's silver eyes were brimmed with a deep sense of anxiety. Whatever was bothering the calm gray warrior, Shadowpaw knew it was bound to bring trouble.


	13. Chapter Eleven

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Chapter Eleven

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As Shadowpaw returned to camp, the anxious whispers and meows of his Clanmates filled the camp like an eerie bustling of bees. Tension was thick in the air. Firepaw pushed past Shadowpaw, bounding over towards their other denmates, who were crowded by the apprentices' den. Rainpaw's whiskers were twitching excitedly, while Ivypaw had her usual unreadable expression. Yellowpaw waved her tail in greeting to them. 

“What's going on?” Firepaw asked, sitting down. 

Rainpaw's eyes were bright with excitement. “I bet it's ReedClan causing trouble again!” 

Yellowpaw shot him a glare. “Mouse-brain!” she snapped. “Why would ReedClan be causing trouble? It's clearly PineClan up to no good!” 

Frowning, Shadowpaw glanced back towards the entrance to camp. Foxchaser was murmuring something to Lionclaw and Briarpool, her eyes dark. Echostar was at the foot of the Highoak, hunched in conversation with Alderleaf, Longwhisker, Sagepelt, and Amberfur. Timberfall was sitting outside of the medicine cat den, Sleetpaw checking his wounds beside him. Duskstrike, Softstep, and Cloudflight were quickly sharing a big thrush outside the Warriors' den, their own voices hushed in private conversation. Nettleleaf was busy gathering up her three kits, ignoring their mewls of protest as she shuffled them into the nursery. The elders were all gathered outside as well, watching the camp with weary suspicion. 

“Do you think there will be a battle?” Firepaw's mew snapped Shadowpaw back to his denmates' conversation. 

Yellowpaw sighed. “Who knows?” 

Beginning to pace, Rainpaw lashed his tail determinedly. “I'm _telling_ you guys it's ReedClan!” he persisted. 

“And I'm _telling_ you it's not!” Yellowpaw retorted with a growl. 

As the two apprentices began to squabble, a quiet voice interrupted them. “BreezeClan,” Shadowpaw turned his gaze to Ivypaw. Her yellow eyes glowed knowingly. “I can scent them from here.” 

Firepaw blinked. “What?” she lifted her muzzle to sniff the air. “I don't smell anything.” 

Yellowpaw tipped her head with a frown. “Ivypaw, are you sure?” 

Not giving her sister an answer, Ivypaw quickly got to her paws. The entrance rustled as two strange cats emerged into camp. Shadowpaw bristled at the sudden wave of hostility that filled the air. Anxious, he quickly followed Firepaw as she moved forward to get a better view. The biggest cat, a silver tabby tom with thick muscles under his pelt, stepped up to greet Echostar as she walked towards them. 

“Skylight,” she greeted. 

The tom dipped his head. “Greetings, Echostar,” he rumbled. “As you already know, I will be visiting the Cavern of Stars at moonhigh.” 

“Sandstar is _dead?_ ” Oaktuft gasped. 

Skylight gave a solemn nod. “Yes,” he replied regretfully. “Our Clan will sit vigil for him tonight.” 

Echostar dipped her head. “The Clans will mourn the loss of such a wise, old, leader,” she sighed. “May StarClan light his path.” 

The rest of the cats in camp murmured their condolences. Shadowpaw frowned. _A Clan leader died?_ He glanced at Echostar. _What would our Clan do if Echostar died?_ Shaking the uneasy thoughts away, Shadowpaw couldn't help but notice the uneasiness reflected in the eyes of the cat who had come with Skylight. She was much smaller and slender than her Clanmate, and had a soft gray-and-white pelt. 

Whispersong quickly emerged from his den to join her. “Dustpool,” he greeted. “I'm very sorry to hear about Sandstar.” 

Dustpool lowered her head. “It wasn't his time,” she murmured. Skylight quickly flashed the she-cat a stern look, and she flinched away. 

“Will you be on your way to ReedClan next?” Echostar asked them. 

“Yes,” Skylight answered. “Dustpool, let's go.” 

Dustpool gave a quick nod to Whispersong, before following her new leader out of camp. As soon as they were out of sight, the camp exploded into a flurry of questions and confusion. 

“Sandstar _dead?_ ” 

“But he still had a few seasons left in him!” 

“Did he die of greencough?” 

Firepaw narrowed her eyes. “They were hiding something,” she growled to Shadowpaw. 

“But what?” Shadowpaw whispered. The darkness hidden in the depths of Dustpool's gaze troubled him deeply. _What exactly is BreezeClan hiding?_

Echostar's yowl rang out in the clearing, silencing everyone. The LeafClan leader was staring down with authority, her calico pelt glowing in the weakening sunlight. “I was planning to speak will all you before Skylight's arrival,” she began. “However I was not able to do so.” 

“So you _knew_ Sandstar died?” Duskstrike meowed in surprise. 

Echostar nodded slowly. “Yes,” she answered. “The reason I had you all return to camp, was due to the circumstances in regards to Sandstar's sudden death.” 

“ _Circumstances?_ What are you talking about?” Dawnrise asked, pressing close to her mate, Longwhisker. 

“Sandstar's death was not only unexpected,” Echostar growled. “He was murdered.” 

“ _Murdered?_ ” Birchclaw yowled. 

“StarClan help us!” Jayeyes whimpered quietly. 

Alderleaf stepped forward. “Do we know who did it?” 

“Yes, is BreezeClan in danger?” Lionclaw chimed in. 

Echostar shook her head. “No one is certain as to who was the cause behind Sandstar's death,” she meowed. “But it is evident he was murdered by a cat.” 

Shock stunned the cats into silence, as if they couldn't believe a Clan leader could be killed in cold blood. Shadowpaw felt his blood turn to ice. _Murder?_ He backed away from the crowd. A flash of gray fur suddenly caught his eye. Shadowpaw spun around to gaze into the trees. A familiar ice blue gaze met his own. _Cinder!_


	14. Chapter Twelve

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Chapter Twelve

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A roll of thunder roared overhead, and in a flash of lightning, Cinder had disappeared from the trees. Shadowpaw blinked, unsure of whether or not he had imagined things. Why would the strange she-cat suddenly appear there anyways? Shadowpaw pushed the image away, jumping as another crash of thunder blasted through the sky. 

Echostar's long fur blew in the stormy winds, her eyes determined as ever. “We will discuss more about Sandstar's sudden death later,” she announced. “For now we need to shelter from the approaching storm.”

The cats disbanded, quickly slinking off to their dens to hide out. Shadowpaw stared up at the sky, a sense of foreboding dread setting in. Was StarClan angry that a Clan leader was murdered? Shuddering at the thought of the ancient cats' fury, he quickly scurried into the apprentices' den. The other apprentices' were already there, gossiping about the shocking news.

“I bet ReedClan ambushed Sandstar!” Rainpaw insisted, much to the annoyance of Yellowpaw.

The golden apprentice lashed her tail. “For the last time, it wasn't ReedClan!”

“Maybe it was a rogue,” Firepaw suggested, tucking into her nest.

“But why would a rogue kill a Clan leader?” Rainpaw asked, clearly still convinced ReedClan was behind everything.

Yellowpaw snorted. “Since when do rogues ever make sense?”

Shadowpaw slid into his nest beside Firepaw, listening as his denmates continued to debate. Ivypaw sat not far off, her expression giving nothing away as usual. Shadowpaw glanced at the black she-cat. _Such a plain expression,_ he thought. _I wonder what she's thinking about all of this? She's hardly said a word..._

“Shadowpaw!” 

Startled, the tabby apprentice jerked his head back towards the other apprentices. Rainpaw was staring at him hopefully, his eyes round. “What do you think?” he asked. “Do you think it was ReedClan or a rogue?”

Blinking, Shadowpaw shuffled his paws uneasily. “Oh, well, I-I don't know...”

Firepaw rolled her eyes. “Mouse-brain,” she chided Rainpaw. “How would _he_ know? He doesn't have any memories, remember?”

Tail drooping, Rainpaw sighed. “Oh, right, I forgot. Sorry Shadowpaw.”

Shadowpaw shook his head. “It's okay,” he said. “It's not your fault.”

A flash of lightning illuminated the den, followed by a sudden downpour of rain. Yellowpaw fluffed out her fur in disgust, curling up in her nest. 

“Blegh! Rain is the worst!” she complained.

Firepaw yawned. “Tell me about it,” she laid her head on her paws. “I'm just glad I'm in here and not out there.”

“We should probably get some sleep then,” Rainpaw mewed, kneading the moss in his nest before laying down. “I'm sure it will be really busy tomorrow.”

Shadowpaw tilted his head. “Why? What's tomorrow?” 

“The gathering,” Ivypaw answered, her sharp yellow eyes glowing in the darkening den. 

“The...gathering?” Shadowpaw asked, confused. “What is that?”

Rainpaw shot up from his nest. “Awesome is what it is!” he exclaimed. “You get to meet a whole bunch of different cats, all from each Clan!”

Nodding, Firepaw lifted her head. “And all four leaders will be there. We go every full moon, and there's a truce so no one fights.”

“You two will probably be going tomorrow,” Yellowpaw mewed. “Echostar usually likes the new apprentices to go as soon as possible.”

 _That sounds so overwhelming!_ Shadowpaw thought nervously. He had barely memorized all the cats in LeafClan, let along the other Clans! _And what if they know I'm an outsider? Will they even want me there?_ He fidgeted anxiously, too worried now to get comfortable. Firepaw twitched an ear. 

“Relax,” she told him, seeming to guess his thoughts. “You don't have to do anything spectacular there. All you do is sit and listen to the leader's, and then go back home with the Clan.”

Yellowpaw gave an amused snort. “You act like you've already been to one!”

Firepaw rolled her eyes. “I don't need to have gone there when all I hear is the elder's complain!”

“This gathering will be different,” Ivypaw meowed quietly. “With Sandstar's death, the Clans will be on edge. Especially BreezeClan.”

Shadowpaw gazed out at the rain. _Ivypaw has a point. What will we learn about Sandstar's murder? And what if I see Cinder?_ He frowned in thought. Whatever the answer, Shadowpaw knew it was bound to bring trouble.

****

* * * 

The night sky was bright with moonlight as Shadowpaw followed his Clanmates through LeafClan territory. Yellowpaw was right the night before—Echostar had chosen only him and Firepaw out of the apprentices to go. The other cats among them were Foxchaser, Whispersong, Sleetpaw, Sagepelt, Cloudflight, Lionclaw, Softstep, Amberfur, Timberfall, Jayeyes, Oaktuft, and Frosttail. Shadowpaw stuck close to his mentor, nervous that he might get lost if he strayed too far. 

As the cats reached the edge on LeafClan territory, they came to a stop at a shallow creek-bed. Two large stones were just above the murky water. Beyond that the oak trees merged with pine, dipping down into a large ravine. Shadowpaw carefully followed his Clanmates as Echostar led them across, pressing close to Sagepelt as they climbed to the top of the ravine. Peering over the edge, Shadowpaw could see the steep incline led to a big grassy clearing surrounded by a mix of pine and oak trees. At the far edge, an ancient oak tree loomed above them. The mighty roots rose above the ground, while thick low lying branches hung just overhead the clearing. 

The scent of multiple cats filled the air, all strange and unfamiliar to him. Shadowpaw backed away hesitantly, unsure of what to do. Sagepelt gently laid his tail over his shoulders, offering support to his young apprentice. Grateful for his mentor's understanding, Shadowpaw felt himself relax as Echostar led them down the slope and into the clearing. A large group of cats had already gathered, carrying the scents of moorland and fish. Wrinkling his nose at all the strange smells, Shadowpaw gazed up at the large tree. Echostar had already climbed onto one of its branches, joining Skylight and a large albino cat he didn't recognize. At the base of the tree, among the roots, Shadowpaw recognized Dustpool talking with a brown-and-white tom, while Whispersong made his way around the cats. Sleetpaw was excitedly chatting with other apprentices, while Foxchaser seemed to solemnly speak to a gray-and-white she-cat. 

“Why don't you go with Firepaw to meet the other apprentices?” Sagepelt suggested, motioning his tail to where Firepaw was watching some apprentices wrestle.

Shadowpaw shook his head nervously. “T-That's okay,” he said. “I'd rather stay here with you.”

Sagepelt gave a little purr. “I suppose that's fine too.”

Glad that he didn't have to stray far from his mentor, Shadowpaw gazed up at the tree curiously. “Who is that other cat up there beside Echostar and Skylight?” he asked.

“That would be Icestar,” he answered. “He's ReedClan's leader. And that brown-and-white cat over there by the roots is ReedClan's medicine cat, Reedsplash.”

Shadowpaw tilted his head. “Who are those cats by Foxchaser?”

Sagepelt folded his tail over his paws. “The gray-and-white she-cat is named Heronwing—she's the deputy of ReedClan. And the gray she-cat is Ashheart, whom I'm assuming is the new deputy of BreezeClan.”

“Where is PineClan?” Amberfur muttered, a bit impatient as she sat beside Sagepelt. 

Frowning, the gray tom gazed up at the top of the ravine. “I'm not sure,” he answered. “It isn't like them to be so late.”

Shadowpaw followed Sagepelt's gaze. “Do you think something happened?”

Amberfur snorted. “Not like we'll ever know,” she grunted. “PineClan is as shady as their territory.”

A loud yowl filled the clearing, and the cats quickly bundled into groups around the Great Oak. Sagepelt gently nudged Shadowpaw to the edge of the group, sitting beside Lionclaw and Softstep. Firepaw quickly sat on Shadowpaw's other side, her eyes fixed on the three Clan leaders above. Echostar looked up at Icestar, her eyes wide.

“Icestar, we can't start this gathering without PineClan,” she protested.

The ReedClan leader's red eyes flashed in the moonlight. “And do you suppose we wait here all night then?”

Skylight stepped forward on his branch. “Icestar, she is right,” he meowed. “We must give PineClan a little more time.”

Translucent fur bristling, Icestar narrowed his eyes. “Fine,” he rumbled. “But if they aren't here soon...”

His sentence was cut off as a swarm of cats hurtled down into the ravine. At the head of them, a lithe black she-cat with sharp amber eyes quickly climbed onto the fourth branch of the Great Oak. _She's no bigger than an apprentice!_ Shadowpaw thought, surprised a Clan leader could be so small. Among the roots, a black tabby tom and black-and-white she-cat joined the others. _Those two must be PineClan's deputy and medicine cat,_ Shadowpaw decided. As the PineClan leader got settled, Icestar shot her a meaningful red glare. 

“You're late, Blackstar,” he growled.

Blackstar shot a glare back, sharper than thorns. “And _you_ were willing to start the gathering without all four Clans.”

Echostar stepped forward. “Remember the truce,” she scolded, gazing up at the full moon.

Skylight nodded. “Let us begin then, shall we?”

Icestar stood, raising his tail. “ReedClan has had plenty of prey this past moon. We also have welcomed Shinepelt's new litter of three healthy and strong kits,” he announced. “I would also like to introduce our newest apprentice, Mudpaw.”

“Mudpaw! Mudpaw!” the cats cheered, ReedClan the loudest among them. A white she-cat with brown splotches looked around meekly, pressing close to her Clanmates.

As soon as Icestar stepped back, Blackstar stood. “PineClan is thriving well, and we have also welcomed a healthy litter of two kits, who were born to Rivershine,” she purred. “PineClan is also proud to announce our two new apprentices—Antpaw and Badgerpaw.”

Cheers rang out for the two new apprentices, both cats standing tall and proud as their names were called. Echostar then took her place to announce LeafClan's news. Shadowpaw couldn't help but admire how tall and proud his leader looked, boldly addressing the other Clans. 

“LeafClan has flourished this Green-leaf, and we have plenty of prey for all of our cats. I am pleased to announce that we, too, have been blessed with a healthy litter of two kits—born to Hollycloud and Sagepelt,” Echostar informed, as Sagepelt sat up with pride. “There are also two new apprentices, Firepaw and Shadowpaw.”

As the cats cheered their names, Shadowpaw quickly hid behind Sagepelt. Firepaw stood tall, her eyes glowing with the attention. Sagepelt purred and nudged Shadowpaw away from him. Nervously, Shadowpaw shrunk beside Firepaw until the cheers died down. Echostar sat back as Skylight stood to announce BreezeClan's news.

“BreezeClan is sad to announce that our noble leader, Sandstar, has joined StarClan this past moon,” he closed his eyes as the cats all murmured their condolences. “However, I have received my nine lives, and appointed Ashheart as BreezeClan's new deputy.”

The cats gave meows of approval, before Skystar went on. “Despite the loss of Sandstar, BreezeClan has continued to grow and become stronger. Borders will be enforced now more than ever,” he meowed pointedly. “Any trespassers will be dealt with fiercely.”

“Why would any cat cross your borders?” Icestar objected, his lips drawn back in a snarl. “Your accusations are empty, Skystar.”

Skystar shot a glare back. “I have not accused any cat,” he retorted. “I am simply giving fair warning.”

Blackstar scoffed. “That's not what it sounds like, and you know it.”

Icestar lashed his tail. “No cat has any reason to cross your borders,” he went on. “Perhaps you should look to your own cats for Sandstar's killer.”

Fur bristling, Skystar dug his claws into the branch. “How dare you insinuate my cats would have anything to do with this?”

Growling, Blackstar faced the BreezeClan leader. “And how dare _you_ assume any of our cats were behind it?”

The cats below all grew tense, melting away into their own Clans. Low growls and snarls could be heard among them as they dispersed. Firepaw shot a glare over at the apprentices she had befriended earlier, while Sagepelt quickly nudged both her and Shadowpaw away. Echostar stared at the other leaders wide-eyed.

“Stop this at once!” she pleaded. “There is a truce, or have you all forgotten that?” 

Skystar gave her an icy glare. “Truce or not, no Clan is to cross BreezeClan borders,” he snarled, jumping down and leading his cats away. 

Icestar and Blackstar quickly followed suit, leaving Echostar speechless atop the Great Oak. Shadowpaw watched the other three Clans melt away into the surrounding forest in shock. Shadowpaw couldn't help but feel that there was more to Sandstar's death that any cat could begin to imagine.


	15. Chapter Thirteen

****

**

Chapter Thirteen

**

****

The next few days after the gathering were full of tension. Shadowpaw could feel hostility from the Clans each time he went out with Sagepelt on border or hunting patrols. When he wasn't on patrols, he found himself in camp where the tension was thick among his own Clanmates. The young apprentice began to wonder if life would ever be back to normal. 

Shadowpaw had already finished his training for the day, tucking into a mouse at the edge of camp. Sagepelt had showed him some battle techniques earlier that day, and Shadowpaw felt battered and exhausted. Eating what was left of his mouse, Shadowpaw arched his back in a stretch and looked around. Nettleleaf was sitting outside the nursery while her kits—Snowkit, Brownkit, and Sandkit tussled happily. Shadowpaw noticed the three kits were nearly his size now. _Not much longer until they're apprentices._ Whispersong and Sleetpaw were crouched outside the medicine cat den, going over some herbs scattered in neat piles at Sleetpaw's paws. Foxchaser was busy organizing patrols, while Echostar talked quietly with Lionclaw, Alderleaf, Timberfall, and Briarpool. Birchclaw, Frosttail, and Jayeyes were basking in a patch of sunlight. 

Despite the tension in the air, Shadowpaw had to admit that everything seemed normal. He glanced up at the trees where he had seen Cinder the other night. Did he just imagine her there? Or did Cinder know something he didn't? Shadowpaw twitched an ear, shaking his head. There was no point in worrying about that now. 

“Shadowpaw!” Firepaw's voice rang out through the clearing. 

The tabby she-cat was rushing towards him, a twinkle of excitement in her dark blue eyes. Shadowpaw forced his fur to lay flat. _Her being excited makes me nervous,_ he thought with a tiny shudder. _That usually means a lot of trouble for me._ If Firepaw noticed him frown, she ignored it. 

“Guess what Cloudflight just told me?” she asked, kneading her paws against the grass. 

Shadowpaw tilted his head. “Something exciting,” he replied. “Just a guess though.” 

Firepaw lashed her tail. “Of course it was!” she snapped. “We're going to the Cavern of Stars!” 

A jolt of realization hit Shadowpaw. Sagepelt had mentioned the Cavern of Stars before. It was a cave at the edge of BreezeClan territory, and at the end was a place called the Moonpuddle. Every Clan leader must go there to receive their nine lives, while medicine cats made the journey every half-moon. New apprentices also journey there with their mentors to share with StarClan. Anxiety flared up in his chest. _What does StarClan think of me?_

While Shadowpaw brewed in his own worries, Firepaw went on. “Cloudflight said we're leaving soon, so we have to get some traveling herbs from Whispersong. Come on!” she nudged him before running ahead. 

Feeling a bit resentful that Sagepelt had not warned him ahead of time, Shadowpaw sulked after his friend. Whispersong looked up at the two apprentices as they approached. The calm and level-headed presence of the medicine cat soothed Shadowpaw. With a guilty pang, Shadowpaw realized he hadn't been back to visit since he began his training. However, the black-and-white tom didn't show any signs that he had been bothered by this. 

“Sleetpaw,” Whispersong mewed. “Tell me, which herbs are used for traveling?” 

The fluffy gray apprentice closed his eyes in thought. Shadowpaw tipped his head to the side. Unlike his littermate, Sleetpaw seemed very calm and composed, much like his father. Whispersong waited patiently for his apprentice to answer, his eyes watching him thoughtfully. 

“Chamomile, burnet, sorrel, and....daisy?” Sleetpaw opened his eyes. 

Whispersong gave an approving nod. “Very good,” he purred. “Now, what are they each used for?” 

Sleetpaw wrinkled his nose, thinking. “Chamomile is to keep their strength up. Burnet is also used for strength, while sorrel helps keep their appetite down. And daisy is used to keep their joints from aching.” 

“Excellent!” Whispersong praised. “Now, go and fetch those from the store.” 

Warmed by his mentor's praise, Sleetpaw quickly went to gather the herbs they'd need. Shadowpaw watched Sleetpaw go, feeling impressed. The medicine cat apprentice had to remember so many things it seemed! Firepaw just kneaded the ground impatiently beside him, her eyes fixed on the camp's entrance. Sleetpaw came back out, carrying the herbs wrapped in beech leaves. He dropped them at their paws carefully. 

“These don't taste very good,” he warned as Shadowpaw leaned his head down to lap them up. “But they're definitely worth it.” 

Firepaw scrunched up her nose in disgust as she chewed them. “Blegh!” she spat. “Why do herbs need to be so gross?” 

“You can ask StarClan that later I guess,” Sleetpaw replied, his eyes lit up with amusement. 

Shadowpaw hesitantly lapped his own herbs up, scrunching his face as well. The taste was very bitter, and he struggled to swallow them without spitting them back out. Whispersong dipped his head towards the two apprentices. 

“You should go find Cloudflight and Sagepelt,” he told them. “They should be waiting for you two by now.” 

Firepaw nodded. “Right, thanks,” she ran ahead. “Come on, Shadowpaw!” 

Sighing, Shadowpaw followed after his denmate. As Whispersong expected, Sagepelt and Cloudflight were sitting at the entrance of camp. To his surprise, Echostar was with them. The LeafClan leader's eyes were a clear deep blue, and her expression gave away nothing as they approached. 

“Huh?” Firepaw stopped and looked from Echostar to Cloudflight. “Echostar is coming too?” 

Echostar nodded. “Yes,” she answered. “With tensions high among the Clans, it may be best if I travel alongside you tonight.” 

“Which also means you both need to behave,” Cloudflight added, shooting a sharp meaningful glance at her apprentice. 

Firepaw snorted and rolled her eyes. Sagepelt glanced at Echostar. “Shall we be going then?” 

“Yes,” she answered. “Remember to stay close behind me.” 

The five cats filed out of camp, and into the forest. Shadowpaw gazed ahead at his leader. The calico she-cat walked confidently, her head and ears raised proudly. Her fluffy tail was up and alert, and her steps were evenly paced. Admiration surged through Shadowpaw as he watched her. Compared to what he had seen of the other three leaders, Echostar seemed the most regal. Despite the hostility of the other Clans, she still had the confidence to lead her Clanmates. _I don't know what LeafClan would do without a leader like Echostar,_ Shadowpaw thought gratefully. 

As they traveled on, the cats crossed the same stream that led to the gathering. However, instead of heading down the ravine, they all kept close to the trees. The ground started to slope upwards, and Shadowpaw struggled to keep up as Echostar increased the pace. Once they reached the top of the slope, the ground opened up to sky. Shadowpaw stared out breathlessly. 

The trees were all behind them now, and stretched out in front of them was nothing by moorland. Heather lined the ground as far as he could see, and not a single tree was in sight. The ground was uneven, sloping up and down like ripples in a huge golden river. The sky overhead was full of white clouds, and the sun shifted in and out behind them. Echostar let her gaze travel across the moorland, and Shadowpaw figured she must have been looking for any signs of BreezeClan. Shadowpaw recognized the scent of the moorland cats, and knew they must have just crossed the border into their territory. 

A rabbit suddenly hurtled through the heather, nearly scaring Shadowpaw out of his fur. Firepaw's eyes flashed, ready to catch it, before Cloudflight quickly cut her off with a stern growl. On the rabbit's trail were a small patrol of BreezeClan warriors. Shadowpaw was amazed by their speed and how easily they seemed to glide across the moor. He knew the BreezeClan cats were leaner and longer legged than the other Clans, but he never imagined they could be so _fast._ A shriek from the rabbit told him that the hunt was a success. Before they could continue on, a yowl called out to them. 

Sagepelt quickly pushed Firepaw and Shadowpaw behind him. “Stay behind me, and be quiet,” he warned sternly. 

The small hunting patrol rushed towards them, fur bristling along their spines. Shadowpaw flinched away from the pure hostility in their eyes. Firepaw glared at them defiantly, as if waiting for a chance to fight. Echostar stood calmly, her eyes carefully watching as they approached. At the head of the patrol was a dark brown tabby tom. On his right side was a white she-cat—who looked to be an apprentice—carrying the rabbit they had just caught. On his left side was a black tom with white splotches along his pelt. 

“You're tresspassing on BreezeClan territory,” the dark tabby growled. 

Echostar stepped forward, her head held high. “We're taking our two newest apprentices to the Cavern of Stars,” she said coolly. “You're not going to stop us, are you Ryefur?” 

Ryefur snarled and backed away. The black-and-white tom stepped forward, lashing his tail. “Who said we could trust you to stay at the edge of the moor?” he challenged. 

Cloudflight bristled. “You know as well as any of us that no cat has crossed your borders, Gorsetail.” 

Gorsetail spat at her, unsheathing his claws. Cloudflight returned his glare, ready to fight if she had to. Echostar shoved in between the two warriors. 

“That's enough!” she snapped. “If Skystar has any issue with us going to the Cavern of Stars, he may come and speak to me personally. Until then, we _will_ be going.” 

Ryefur snarled. “Fine. But step one paw further into our territory and we'll make you regret it.” 

Gorsetail nudged the white she-cat away. “Let's go Rabbitpaw,” he ordered, as the three cats disappeared into the heather. 

Huffing, Firepaw pushed past Sagepelt and up beside Echostar. “Great StarClan! What has their tails in a knot?” she huffed. 

Sagepelt shook his head. “They're on edge from Sandstar's death. It's only natural BreezeClan would be more hostile than normal.” 

“In any case, we need to keep moving,” Echostar meowed, heading off. “We've wasted enough time already.” 

Shadowpaw glanced back at the heather, feeling more and more uneasy as they walked. _Are the other Clans as hostile as BreezeClan?_ He wondered. The other two Clans didn't seem aggressive at the gathering, at least, not until after Skystar had accused them of murder. And if Sandstar's killer was not found soon, Shadowpaw worried that a battle was inevitable. 

Trying to ignore the fluttering in his belly, Shadowpaw kept his gaze ahead. The ground sloped unevenly as they moved on, making the LeafClan apprentice grateful for the traveling herbs. As the group approached the edge of the moor, Echostar quickly rose her tail for them to stop. A long hard black path stretched out horizontally, curving around a bend to the left of them. Thick yellow lines marked the middle, and the path reeked of a thick and foul stench. Firepaw reared back, spitting disgustedly. 

“What is that _smell?_ ” she retched. 

Cloudflight grunted. “The Thunderpath,” she replied. “And if you have any sense at all, you will stay back and wait until we say it's okay to cross.” 

Firepaw puffed out her fur. “I'm not afraid of any thunderpath monsters!” 

“Well you should be,” Sagepelt said sternly. “Many cats have been killed by them due to that line of thinking.” 

Shadowpaw stared at the hard black stone in front of them. _Thunderpath? Monsters?_ Shadowpaw looked down both ends of the thunderpath. It didn't _look_ as dangerous as Sagepelt and Cloudflight said. Aside from the foul stench, Shadowpaw couldn't see any signs of these “monsters”. Just as he relaxed, a loud humming came from around the left bend. Firepaw glared at the bend as a huge bright blue metallic creature with fat, round, black paws flew down the Thunderpath. Shadowpaw's fur bristled as it came towards them. He looked at Sagepelt, desperate to know why they weren't running away. Just as he prepared to be flattened by the huge, deafening creature, it zoomed past them. Shadowpaw staggered on his paws from the blast of wind, and coughed as an eye stinging stench filled his nostrils. 

Firepaw was coughing too, and growled. “They weren't _that_ scary!” 

Through his watered blurred eyes, Shadowpaw could see his denmates fur was rose along her spine. Despite being alarmed from his near death experience, Shadowpaw couldn't help but feel amused by Firepaw's stubborn confidence. A few more monsters zoomed by, and Sagepelt quickly gathered the two apprentices between him and Cloudflight. 

“Okay, as soon as Echostar yowls for us to go, you _go_ ,” he explained quickly. “Do not hesitate. Just run as fast as you can to the other side.” 

Cloudflight nodded. “Don't even look back,” she added. “Keep your eyes in front of you, and for StarClan's sake do not trip!” 

Heart thumping in his chest, Shadowpaw pressed closely beside Firepaw. The ginger tabby gave him a reassuring look, and Shadowpaw blinked gratefully back at her. Echostar stepped onto the edge of the thunderpath as another monster zoomed by, and quickly yowled at the signal to move. Sagepelt quickly pushed Shadowpaw ahead, and he nearly stumbled over his paws. Blood roaring in his ears, and his chest feeling like it was about to burst, Shadowpaw flung himself across the hard black stone. He kept running, until he nearly ran straight into a bramble bush. 

Wheezing with anxiety, Shadowpaw fell to his paws. Wearily he noticed everyone had made it across safe, and for once Firepaw looked just as scared as he felt. Echostar stood calmly, waiting for the others to regain their composure. Once Shadowpaw felt he could breathe normally again, the group continued on. 

There were very few trees around them, and the ground underpaw became sandy and rough. Stones began to jut out of the ground, while smaller boulders littered the path in front of them. Sagepelt helped Shadowpaw up the boulder-sloped path, and huffing, they finally made it to the top. The top was a small plateau, and in the distance Shadowpaw could see the outline of the moorland and forest. Just ahead of them was a small entrance, the dark cave looming silently before them. 

Echostar climbed onto a low-lying boulder, and laid down. Her gaze rested on the setting sun, the blue in her eyes sparking with an orange flame. Firepaw stared at the entrance of the cave, shifting her paws impatiently. 

“Aren't we going to go in?” she asked, Cloudflight coming to stand beside her. 

Sagepelt settled himself at the base of Echostar's boulder. “Not yet,” he answered. “The first star in silverpelt hasn't shown itself.” 

Shadowpaw looked at Sagepelt, confused. “Silverpelt?” 

“Silverpelt is the cluster of stars you see in the night sky,” he explained. “They are the spirits of our ancestors in StarClan.” 

“Oh,” Shadowpaw stared up at the sky curiously. _Were_ his _ancestors up there?_

Echostar laid her head in her paws. “You all may hunt if you wish,” she mewed. “There is time before we need to go.” 

Cloudflight dipped her head. “Of course,” she said, looking at Firepaw. “Why don't we try hunting in the rocks over there?” 

As Firepaw joined her mentor, Sagepelt gently ran his tail down Shadowpaw's spine. “Perhaps a little hunting assessment will help keep your mind off of things.” 

Shadowpaw blinked. “How did you know I was worried?” 

The silver tabby purred. “Your expression gives everything away,” as Shadowpaw shifted his paws in embarrassment, Sagepelt walked towards a patch of thin trees. “Come on, this will do.” 

 

After they had hunted and ate their fill, the sky was almost completely black. Echostar stood up from where she laid, and jumped down. “It is time,” she murmured. 

Anxiously, Shadowpaw quickly followed after his mentor. Walking through the entrance, darkness engulfed them. Shadowpaw kept close behind Sagepelt, his heart beating fast. He could hear the heavy breathing of some cat behind him, but kept his eyes focused ahead. Suddenly, as if on queue, the narrow cavern began to light up in an eerie blue-green glow. The sides of the stone walls had thick moss embedded with a glossy blue-green luminescent goo. 

Firepaw stared in awe, sniffing at the moss curiously. Shadowpaw stood beside her, gazing at the glow in stunned awe. _This is beautiful!_ He thought. _They're almost like stars leading the way through the darkness..._

“Starslugs,” Cloudflight suddenly meowed. Firepaw and Shadowpaw turned to stare at her. “No cat knows why, but these little slimy creatures always seem to glow at the same time each night.” 

Sagepelt nodded. “Legend has it that the Starslugs led the Clans first ever medicine cat to the Moonpuddle.” 

“The Starslugs are sacred to the Clans,” Echostar added. “As beautiful as they are, we must keep moving.” 

Without another word, Shadowpaw continued on, Firepaw pressed close to his flank. As soon as he thought that the cavern would never end, it opened up before their eyes. The narrow cavern was now a large opening, the rock walls reaching high overhead. In the center was a huge hole, opening up to the night sky. The floor was littered with puddles of water, reflecting the stars from the sky. Echostar gently stepped threw the puddles, coming to a stop at a huge puddle of water. It was directly under the hole, glittering in starlight. 

Shadowpaw looked around the cavern in awe. It was more beautiful than anything he'd ever seen. And yet, his heart was still pounding heavily in his chest. _StarClan is here,_ he reminded himself. _I'll soon know how they feel about me._

Echostar lowered to her paws before the Moonpuddle. “Come, it is nearly time.” 

Cloudflight stepped forward, Firepaw right behind her. They both huddled at the far edge of the starlit water, while Sagepelt led Shadowpaw to the opposite edge. Shadowpaw watched the sky overhead, patiently. As the moon slowly made its way to the center, the Moonpuddle and the puddles surrounding it shone with an intense bright white light. Shadowpaw flinched back from the intensity, before feeling himself drawn to look at the Moonpuddle's glowing water. 

“Lean your head down and touch your nose to the water,” Sagepelt instructed quietly. 

Obeying, Shadowpaw closed his eyes and let the tip of his nose touch the water. Coldness flashed through his fur, and he felt as if his body had been plunged into an icy river. Opening his eyes, the cavern was gone. Instead, it was a huge green field, flowers waving in a warm and gentle breeze. 

_Where am I?_ He wondered, standing up and looking around. _Is this StarClan?_

A flash of silver caught his eye, and he whipped his head to the side. A graceful she-cat was moving towards him, her beautiful silver tabby fur sparkling with stars. Her eyes were a deep amber, and Shadowpaw felt enchanted by her beauty. 

“Like the shadows of yesterday,” her voice was like a whisper in the wind. “Only the brightness of tomorrow will dispel the darkness in lost memories.” 

Shadowpaw stepped forward, confused. “What?” he asked. “What does that mean? Who are you?” 

The silver she-cat blinked her eyes gently at him, before darkness once again engulfed Shadowpaw's vision.


	16. Chapter Fourteen

 As Shadowpaw's senses came rushing back into him, he could blearily make out the others stirring from their own dreams. Echostar was the last to wake, instantly on her paws. The fur along her spine was raised, and she lashed her tail irritably.  

“We need to leave,” she said urgently, turning to rush out the cave.  

Stumbling over his paws, Shadowpaw quickly ran after her with his Clanmates not far behind. Sagepelt made his way up beside Echostar once they emerged from the Cavern of Stars. Firepaw paced beside Shadowpaw, her own eyes glittering with deep thought.  

“Echostar,” Sagepelt prompted. “What is going on?” 

Echostar lashed her tail, ears flat. “We must return to the Clan,” she insisted anxiously.  

Not willing to press more, Sagepelt fell into step behind the LeafClan leader. Shadowpaw's own thoughts whirled, trying to decipher what the mysterious StarClan cat had said to him. Mystified, he stumbled after his Clanmates as they rushed out of the Cavern of Stars.  

Weak light began to shimmer over the horizon, the moorland glowing with a soft pink hue. _We must have spent all night here,_ Shadowpaw realized. Echostar clambered down the rocky slope, Cloudflight and Sagepelt right behind her. Firepaw followed slowly after them, Shadowpaw close behind. 

The cats had raced across the moorland, Echostar refusing to break stride as they rushed back home. Shadowpaw's legs ached with tiredness, and he struggled to keep himself from stumbling. Just as he thought he couldn't go on any longer, they finally reached LeafClan territory. The familiar scents of his home gave Shadowpaw renewed strength.  

Sagepelt stopped, sniffing at the border. “That shouldn't be right.” 

“What is it?” Cloudflight asked him, Echostar still moving ahead.  

“The scent markers haven't been renewed,” Sagepelt replied, his eyes dark. 

Cloudflight's eyes widened, and the two warriors pelted after their leader. Firepaw glanced at Shadowpaw in confusion. 

“What has all of them in such a hurry?” she huffed, her tone tired and weary from their trek. 

Shadowpaw shook his head, and the two apprentices quickly followed their Clanmates back to camp. The sounds of screeching and angry yowls rang out through the trees, and the scent of blood filled Shadowpaw's senses. Pelt spiking, he quickened his pace into a run. Crashing through the entrance of camp, he emerged into a clearing full of cats locked in battle. Firepaw didn't hesitate as she shoved past him and into the fray. 

Staring around in horror, Shadowpaw realized that the cats attacking his Clanmates weren't from the Clans. _These cats..._

Racing across the clearing, Shadowpaw had to dodge around the battling cats. An ear piercing screech stopped him in his tracks. Blood freezing with cold terror, he spun around to see Firepaw locked in a vicious tussle. Familiar gray furred flashed in Shadowpaw's vision, and the sharp realization hit him like a stone. _Cinder! What is_ she _doing here?_

Cinder yowled in fury as Firepaw tackled her onto her side. In a flash of paws, the ginger tabby pinned Cinder to the dirt. Hissing in defiance, the gray she-cat struggled under Firepaw's hold. Not budging, Firepaw raised a claw to strike down. 

_No!_ Shadowpaw began to race forward. “Firepaw, stop!”  

Ignoring his yowl, Firepaw unsheathed her claws and struck down. Shadowpaw slammed into his friend's side, Firepaw's claws barely missing Cinder's face. The two denmates rolled across the ground in a tussle of fur, Firepaw screeching in confusion and disbelief. Shadowpaw broke free from his Clanmates, his fur puffed out. He blocked Firepaw's path to Cinder, breathing heavily. 

“What are you doing?” Firepaw spat, lashing her tail angrily. 

Shadowpaw shook his head, desperate for Firepaw to understand. “She's my _kin!_ ” he yelled. “I can't let you hurt her!” 

Firepaw snarled, eyes wide in disbelief. “Are you _mad?_ ” She hissed furiously. “She's our _enemy!_ She _attacked_ our Clanmates! Just whose _side_ are you on?” 

Cinder was regaining her composure, blood oozing from scratches along her flanks. Shadowpaw stepped back, determined to protect his sister. Firepaw spat in fury, turning and charging into the throng of screeching cats. Getting to her paws, Cinder met his gaze. Before Shadowpaw could ask her what she was doing there, she quickly bolted off into the clearing.  

A yowl rose over the clearing, stopping the cats in their tracks. Echostar stood atop the highoak, her eyes blazing with fury. “What is the meaning of this?” she demanded, her mew seeping with fury. 

Striding forward, head raised high, was a huge brown tabby with scars covering most of his muscular body. His yellow eyes glowed with defiance as he evenly met Echostar's cold blue gaze. “That is something you should already know, Echostar,” he rumbled. 

“Is that so?” Echostar growled mockingly. “And why is that, Hawk?” 

Shadowpaw stared at the two cats, utterly confused. _Wait, Echostar_ knows _this cat?_ The strange cats who had attacked the camp all clustered at the edge of the clearing, watching Hawk with unreadable expressions. For the first time, Shadowpaw saw that these cats had ragged appearances; much to ragged to be those of Clan cats. _Are these the rogues Firepaw warned me about?_

Hawk swept his gaze around the clearing, walking from one end to other slowly. “I see that age has dulled what little intelligence you have left,” he replied coolly. He tail motioned to his group of cats nearby. “You see, we have come to reclaim what is ours.” 

“What is _yours?_ ” Foxchaser snarled in disbelief. “Nothing here belongs to you!” 

The tabby swiveled his gaze sharply towards the LeafClan deputy. “Oh really?” he jerked his head towards Shadowpaw. “Tell me then, why is one of ours being held hostage in your Clan?” 

Shadowpaw felt his blood turn to ice as all the cats turned their gaze on him. The young tabby felt like disappearing into the shadows as Hawk went on.  

“And why is it, that you have brain-washed him into being one of your own?” he demanded. 

Echostar lashed her tail. “Don't speak such nonsense!” she snapped. “Shadowpaw willingly chose to become an apprentice. And if it weren't for my cats, he wouldn't even be alive to begin with.” 

Hawk's eyes narrowed at Shadowpaw. He turned to gaze back up at Echostar. “Regardless, Shadow belongs to us,” he growled. “And he will be returned to us by any means necessary.” 

“Shadowpaw chooses his own path,” Echostar replied, her voice level. “He is a LeafClan apprentice, and therefore a member of my Clan. If he so chooses to leave, no one will stop him. However,” she narrowed her eyes at Hawk. “We will fight for him if he chooses to stay.” 

“You're making a grave mistake,” Hawk growled ominously. “Need you forget just what my cats can easily do to your pathetic Clan?” 

Echostar lashed her tail. “LeafClan warriors are not cowards. We will fight for what is ours.” 

Hawk's intense gaze didn't leave Echostar. “And as will my own cats,” he declared. “If you so wish to shed blood over such a simple solution, then so be it. I will give your Clan exactly one moon to come to a decision. Make the wrong choice, and the death of your warriors will be on your paws.” 

“So be it,” Echostar agreed.  

“Let's go!” Hawk yowled to his cats.  

The rogues quickly gathered together and disbanded through the camp entrance, Hawk following slowly behind them. Cinder stared at Shadowpaw with a dark expression. Shadowpaw met her gaze, feeling uneasy.  

“Cinder!” Hawk's snarl rang out from the camp entrance. 

Tearing her gaze away from Shadowpaw, Cinder quickly bolted out of camp with her leader. Echostar leaped down from the highoak, lashing her tail furiously. 

“Foxchaser, take some warriors with you to make sure they leave our territory,” she ordered. Foxchaser nodded and quickly gathered who she could as they raced out after the rogues. Echostar swept her gaze past all her Clanmates. “Anyone with injuries are to see Whispersong immediately. You all know your duties, that is all.”  

With that, the cats all disbanded into tense groups of whispers and growls. Shadowpaw could barely feel anything at all. The rogues were serious on making him return home. So much so, they were willing to kill for it. Belly tight with both guilt and fear, Shadowpaw could only hope there was something he could do to prevent an all-out war.


	17. Chapter Fifteen

“Shadowpaw."

Echostar's soft summons made Shadowpaw jump. Realizing he blanked out, lost in his own thoughts, Shadowpaw quickly turned around. Echostar was standing below the Highoak, her calm blue eyes giving nothing away. As he slowly padded towards her, the LeafClan leader quietly slipped into her den. Heart beating fast, Shadowpaw swallowed the urge to run back into his nest. _She must be furious!_ He fretted. _There's no way I'll be able to stay in the Clan now!_

Trembling, Shadowpaw followed after her. The den was dimly lit, and the scent of fresh moss filled his nose. Echostar was sitting up in her nest, her head bowed and eyes closed in thought.

“E-Echostar?” Shadowpaw stammered.

Opening her eyes slowly, the calico gave a tiny nod. “Come,” she gestured with her tail for him to sit.

Shadowpaw moved closer, sitting by the edge of her nest. He bowed his head shamefully, staring down at his paws. “Echostar, I,” he could feel himself shake. “I'm so sorry!” he blurted out.

“Sorry?” Echostar replied, her voice puzzled. “For the actions of Hawk and his rogues? Don't be ridiculous.”

Blinking, he lifted his head. “Ridiculous?” he echoed. “B-But they attacked because of me! You heard him!”

Echostar looked up thoughtfully. “Yes, so they said,” she agreed. “However, you are just barely a kit. I fail to see how such an unfortunate thing would be your fault.”

Staring at the old she-cat, Shadowpaw could see that Echostar truly felt this way. Looking back down, Shadowpaw closed his eyes. “Do I...do I really belong here after this?”

Echostar was silent for a moment. Shadowpaw squeezed his eyes shut tighter, waiting for the inevitable answer. As if the silence would last forever, he felt Echostar's nose gently touch his head. Opening his eyes in surprise, Shadowpaw quickly looked up. The LeafClan leader was looking at him with a gentle expression in her wise old eyes.

“You will always have a place here in LeafClan,” she answered. “Shadowpaw, you have a kind heart. I do not believe for a moment that you would ever harm this Clan. If you truly feel in your heart that you must go with Hawk, I will not stop you. Just know that you will always be a LeafClan cat.”

Shaking with emotion, Shadowpaw looked down once again. “T-Thank you so much, Echostar,” he whispered.

“Go get some rest,” she prompted. “Whatever happens, you must be ready to face it with everything you have.”

Dipping his head gratefully, Shadowpaw quickly left the den. Outside, the sky was a pale blue. The sun was beginning to emerge from behind some clouds, dappling the clearing with shadows. Foxchaser was busy organizing patrols to cats who weren't badly injured, while other cats were coming and going from Whispersong's den. To Shadowpaw's relief, he spotted the silver tabby pelt of his mentor leaving the nursery. Sagepelt glanced over towards his apprentice, and padded over.

Shadowpaw flinched, worried his mentor would be angry with him. “You're okay,” the relief in Sagepelt's voice told him otherwise.

“Y-Yes,” Shadowpaw replied, meeting Sagepelt's gaze.

“Good, I'm glad,” Sagepelt sighed. “I was worried you may have been injured in the chaos.”

Shadowpaw blinked. “Y-You were worried about me?”

Sagepelt tipped his head. “Of course,” he answered. “Why wouldn't I be?”

“They attacked us because of me,” Shadowpaw confessed.

“You put too much blame on yourself,” Sagepelt responded, as Shadowpaw looked up at him. “You are only an apprentice. The actions of older cats doesn't fall on your shoulders.”

Shadowpaw gave a tiny smile. “E-Echostar...she said the same thing...”

“Then listen to your leader and mentor,” Sagepelt scolded gently. “Go get some rest. I know you must be exhausted.”

Sagepelt gently nudged his apprentice, before heading off towards the warriors' den. Shadowpaw sighed, before heading into the apprentices' den. Firepaw was in her nest already, curled into a tight ball. Her pelt smelled of herbs, and her flanks rose and fell slowly in the rhythm of sleep. Quietly, Shadowpaw crawled into his own nest, sleep soon crashing over him.

 

When Shadowpaw awoke, late afternoon light filtered into the den. Firepaw was no longer in her nest, leaving Shadowpaw as the only apprentice still asleep. Shaking the moss from his pelt in a long stretch, the LeafClan apprentice slowly emerged from the den. The camp was bustling with activity as usual, everyone going about their duties. Nearby, the other apprentices were sharing prey and talking. Ivypaw quietly watched as Yellowpaw and Rainpaw tussled in the dirt. Firepaw was beside her, pulling feathers off a robin she was eating.

Taking a deep breath, Shadowpaw reluctantly joined his denmates. Ivypaw glanced up at him, her yellow eyes giving away nothing. Firepaw seemed to ignore him, focused on her robin. Rainpaw turned to look at him.

“Oh, hey Shadow-” Rainpaw began to greet him, before being tackled by Yellowpaw.

Yellowpaw raised her head triumphantly. “Hah! I win!”

“No fair! I wasn't paying attention!” Rainpaw protested, shoving her off.

Yellowpaw snorted. “Good warriors are always prepared, _and_ they don't whine!”

Rainpaw growled and pounced on her, the two apprentices rolling around in the dirt. Shadowpaw jumped out of the way, glancing back over at Ivypaw and Firepaw. Ivypaw sat up, twitching an ear.

“You're awake,” she noted.

Shadowpaw blinked. “Oh, uh, yeah.”

“It's about time,” Firepaw grunted, pulling a mouthful of feathers from her fresh-kill.

Shadowpaw blinked, surprised that the fiery apprentice wasn't angry with him. He sat down, swiveling his ears over towards his fighting denmates. “Yellowpaw and Rainpaw seem pretty lively.”

Ivypaw gave a slight nod. “Rainpaw's warrior assessment is tomorrow.”

“Really?” Shadowpaw asked.

Firepaw huffed. “No need to be so shocked. Rainpaw _is_ the oldest.”

Ivypaw curled her tail over her paws neatly. “Yellowpaw and I will be next.”

“Anyways,” Firepaw interrupted. “Shadowpaw, once I'm done with this robin it's our turn to check on the elders.”

Shadowpaw tipped his head. “I thought we weren't supposed to eat before we do our duties?”

Firepaw rolled her eyes. “This robin isn't for me, it's for Birchclaw. He can't see very well, and he has a hard time getting the feathers off.”

“Oh,” Shadowpaw blinked. “Should I go ahead and bring something for the others then?”

“Yeah, I'll meet you in there,” Firepaw replied, getting back to the robin.

 

Once Shadowpaw and Firepaw were done looking after the elders, they left camp towards the ReedClan border. Shadowpaw shivered as the cold water splashed over his paws, washing away the stench of mouse bile that clung to his claws.

“Yuck!” Firepaw shook her paws off. “I will never get over the nasty stench of mouse bile on my paws!”

Shadowpaw murmured agreement, shaking his own paws off. He thought for a moment. “Do you think BreezeClan found Sandstar's murderer?”

“Who knows?” Firepaw shrugged, attempting to dry her paws off on the grass. “Just as long as they don't try to blame us!”

The sound of a twig snapping suddenly caused Shadowpaw to turn his head. A familiar scent filled his nostrils, and Shadowpaw could tell that Firepaw recognized it too. Heart sinking, Shadowpaw tensed as Cinder slowly emerged from some nearby bushes.


	18. Chapter Sixteen

Firepaw let out a low growl, poising her body to leap. Shadowpaw quickly stepped in front of her. "Firepaw, wait!"

"I'm not here to fight," Cinder began. "Just to talk with my brother."

"Like I'll so easily believe that after our camp was attacked!" Firepaw spat, pushing past Shadowpaw.

Cinder's eyes flashed, but she kept her fur flat. "I wasn't talking to _you_ ," She replied pointedly. Firepaw hissed while Cinder turned her gaze on Shadowpaw. "This is important, Shadow."

Shadowpaw looked at Firepaw. "Firepaw, I think she's telling the truth," he tried to reason. "Just let me talk to her."

Growling, Firepaw glared at Cinder. "If Shadowpaw isn't back at camp soon, I'll personally come find you and rip your pelt off."

"Oh, how frightening," Cinder remarked sarcastically, sitting down.

"It'll be okay," Shadowpaw reassured his friend.

"It better," Firepaw growled, heading back towards camp.

Cinder remained silent until she was certain Firepaw had left. "Nice friend you have there," she snorted. "Very...pleasant."

Shadowpaw shook his head. "Why did you come here, Cinder?" he asked. "It isn't safe for you to be so close to the camp."

"I'm well aware of that, thanks," Cinder rolled her eyes. "But that's beside the point. I came here to warn you."

Shadowpaw felt his blood run cold. _Warn me? Is this about Hawk I wonder?_ Tensing, he pressed for more information. "Warn me about what?"

His sister's gaze darkened slightly. "Our father wasn't pleased with waiting," she told him. "He's pressing for war, unless you are returned to us."

_My father?_ Shadowpaw's eyes widened. _So both of my parents are still alive and well..._

Cinder went on. "He's not willing to wait a moon for you to come back home. In fact, he's only willing to wait as little as three days."

"Three days?" Shadowpaw gasped. "That's not nearly enough time!"

Nodding, Cinder stared at him intensely. "You know what you need to do then, right? If you want to protect your friends here, then you need to leave before three days are up. Otherwise, there will be a war and it will be _your_ fault. I came here in hopes to prevent that." Her eyes grew more gentle. "You're my brother, Shadow. And I'd hate to lose you a second time. So please, just come back home before anyone has to get hurt."

Shadowpaw stared down at his paws. _LeafClan is the only place I've known since I lost my memory. Sagepelt, Echostar, Firepaw...everyone. They would fight for me, but is that really the right thing to do?_ Shadowpaw closed his eyes.

"Shadow?" Cinder's voice snapped Shadowpaw's eyes open.

Shadowpaw met his sister's gaze steadily. "Can you guarantee me three days?"

Cinder nodded. "Yes, but I that's all."

"Then I've made my decision."

 

 

"No, not like that, Rainpaw!" Timberfall's sharp meow rang out in the hollow pit.

"Make sure to tuck your tail in, Yellowpaw!" Briarpool instructed.

Yellowpaw and Rainpaw were sparring, Shadowpaw and the rest of the apprentices and mentors looking on. A day had passed since the battle with Hawk's rogues, and Echostar was more vigilant than ever to having the apprentices practice fighting moves. With Rainpaw's warrior assessment to start later that afternoon, Timberfall was drilling his apprentice on everything he learned.

"Who am I going to train with?" Firepaw asked Cloudflight, eyes glowing with excitement.

_She really enjoys fighting a bit too much,_ Shadowpaw sighed. He glanced at Ivypaw, who was watching her sister's spar with Rainpaw. _And then Ivypaw, well, you can't ever tell what's going on in her mind._

Duskstrike, Ivypaw's mentor, answered Firepaw. "I'd like to test Ivypaw's battle skills, so I'd hope you would spar with her."

Cloudflight nodded. "Good idea, I don't think Shadowpaw is quite up to the task to sparring with Firepaw again."

_You got that right,_ Shadowpaw thought, remembering how his last spar with Firepaw went.

"Okay!" Firepaw chirped. "We haven't sparred before, have we?"

Ivypaw gave a nod. "That's right. You haven't been an apprentice long, after all."

Duskstrike flicked his ears, sweeping his gaze back towards the hollow. Rainpaw dodged Yellowpaw's flurry of blows, before tackling her. The two apprentices rolled across the sand, before Rainpaw pinned the yellow tabby under his paws.

"Well done!" Timberfall praised, while Rainpaw let Yellowpaw up.

"How did I do?" Rainpaw panted, eyes bright.

Briarpool purred. "You'll become quite a formidable warrior yet."

Yellowpaw shook the sand out of her pelt. "Yeah, you actually managed to best me in battle for once."

Rainpaw gave an excited bounce. "Did you see, Sagepelt?"

"Yes, you did really well," Sagepelt purred.

Curling up his tail happily, Rainpaw bounced up towards his mentor. "What now?"

Timberfall motioned for Rainpaw to follow him into the forest. "I'll let you practice hunting before we go and speak with Echostar about starting your assessment."

"Great!" Rainpaw quickly followed his mentor off into the woods.

Duskstrike stood and leaped down into the hollow. "Well, shall we start?"

Yellowpaw quickly ran across the hollow and leaped up beside Shadowpaw, while Firepaw and Ivypaw joined Duskstrike. Briarpool bounded over after Yellowpaw, settling herself beside Sagepelt, Cloudflight joining her apprentice in the hollow.

"Okay, we'll work on some defensive techniques for now," Duskstrike decided. "Firepaw, I want you to charge Ivypaw. Ivypaw, you defend and don't let yourself be knocked over."

Firepaw crouched down. "Got it!"

"Remember to think _before_ charging," Cloudflight reminded her.

Ivypaw stood, bracing herself, eyes narrowed in concentration. Duskstrike nodded in approval. "Okay, now begin!"

Firepaw paced back in forth, looking for a place to strike. Ivypaw stayed rooted in place, watching with her usual calm collected gaze. Seeming to get her bearings together, Firepaw charged towards Ivypaw. As she got close, Ivypaw suddenly leaped right over Firepaw's head. Firepaw skidded forward, completely caught off guard. Using this to her advantage, Ivypaw nimbly turned around as she landed. While Firepaw struggled to get her footing, Ivypaw dove underneath her. Firepaw let out a yowl of surprise as Ivypaw thrust upwards, sending the ginger tabby flying sideways.

Landing heavily on her side, Firepaw barely had time to get to her paws. Ivypaw was right on her, pinning her down. She raised a sheathed paw, swinging it down on Firepaw's face. Right before it hit, she stopped, tapping her with it.

"You're dead," Ivypaw commented.

Firepaw blinked. "You're so weird," she laughed, sitting up.

"Wow, you're good Ivypaw!" Yellowpaw purred, jumping down to nuzzle her sister.

Duskstrike nodded. "You assessed the situation perfectly," he agreed.

Ivypaw just shrugged. "It's not that big a deal."

Sagepelt looked at Shadowpaw. "Are you ready?"

Shadowpaw gave a little nod. "Yes. But who am I sparring with?"

"It'll just be you and I today," Sagepelt answered, jumping down into the hollow.

Duskstrike nodded to Sagepelt. "We'll head back to camp first then."

Shadowpaw watched his Clanmates file out of the training hollow, and back towards camp. He leaped down to join his mentor.

"Are you ready?" Sagepelt prompted.

Shadowpaw nodded, Sagepelt giving a nod of approval. "Good, let's begin."

 

 

After training for quite some time, Shadowpaw and Sagepelt were now headed back towards camp. The sun was beginning to set, and it would soon be time for Rainpaw's warrior ceremony. Shadowpaw glanced at his mentor. _I wonder if my father would be this proud of me,_ he wondered. _Was he proud of me? Before I lost my memory?_

Shaking the thoughts away as they came into camp, Shadowpaw ran over to join his denmates. Yellowpaw and Firepaw were sharing a rabbit. Ivypaw was grooming herself. Yellowpaw looked up and gave a purr.

"Hey, Shadowpaw!" she greeted. "Did you want some of this rabbit?"

Feeling his belly grumble, Shadowpaw joined them. "Yeah, thanks," he replied gratefully.

Firepaw took one last mouthful, before sitting up to groom herself. "Rainpaw's ceremony should be any moment soon," she said between licks.

Yellowpaw licked her lips. "Yeah, it's almost hard to believe that he'll be a warrior."

Shadowpaw mewed in agreement, pulling a piece of meat off the rabbit. Yellowpaw gave the last piece of rabbit to Shadowpaw, walking over to share tongues with Firepaw. As Shadowpaw took the last mouthful, Echostar's summons could be heard across the clearing.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highoak for a Clan meeting!"

Quickly gulping down the rabbit, Shadowpaw followed his denmates under the Highoak. Foxchaser sat beside the Highoak, waiting patiently. Duskstrike, Cloudflight, Lionclaw, Alderleaf, and Longwhisker all came over from the warriors' den. Briarpool, Amberfur, and Softstep quickly dropped their prey off from a hunting patrol. Sagepelt emerged from the nursery with Hollycloud beside him—Silverkit and Redkit, now a moon old, stumbling out behind her. Nettleleaf gathered her three kits in front of her, sitting not far off from Dawnrise—whose swollen belly awkwardly loped sideways. The elders, Birchclaw, Frosttail, Oaktuft, and Jayeyes, watched from in front of their den. Whispersong watched from the medicine den, while Sleetpaw hurried to join Shadowpaw and his denmates to watch his brother's ceremony. Timberfall and Rainpaw stood just below the Highoak, gazing up at Echostar.

"Timberfall, you have told me the great progress your apprentice has made. Do you think he is ready to become a warrior?" Echostar asked.

Timberfall dipped his head. "Yes, he is."

"Very well," Echostar leaped down from the Highoak. "Rainpaw, come forward."

Rainpaw stepped forward, head raised high and gray pelt gleaming.

"I, Echostar, leader of LeafClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn," She began. "Rainpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Rainpaw gave a solemn nod. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name," Echostar's voice rang out. "Rainpaw, from this moment you will be known as Rainfall. StarClan honors your energy and spirit. We welcome you as a full warrior of LeafClan."

Echostar rested her muzzle on Rainfall's head, and he licked her shoulder in turn.

"Rainfall! Rainfall! Rainfall!" The Clan yowled the new warriors name.

Shadowpaw joined in, noticing the pride in Rainfall's parents eyes. As the cats all gathered around Rainfall to congratulate him, Echostar climbed back on top of the Highoak.

"As we all know, Rainfall would hold his warrior vigil tonight. May StarClan grant you a safe night," Echostar meowed.

Sleetpaw purred as he nuzzled his littermate. "You're finally a warrior!"

Rainfall purred too. "Soon you'll have your full medicine cat name too. I can't wait!"

Yellowpaw gave a nod. "Ivypaw and I will be joining you soon enough, so don't go missing us just yet!" she teased.

Rainfall laughed. "Don't worry, I won't!"

"Hey!" Yellowpaw swatted at him playfully.

Rainfall stuck his tongue out, running off towards his parents. Yellowpaw huffed, as Firepaw laughed.

"Trust me, he'll be wishing he's still an apprentice by tomorrow," Firepaw joked. "I would too if I had to share a den with Cloudflight or Longwhisker!"

Shadowpaw purred. "It'll definitely be a lot quieter in our den now."

"I agree," Ivypaw mewed.

Yellowpaw yawned. "Well, we'd better get some rest then. I don't know about you guys, but I'm bushed!"

Firepaw stretched. "Yeah, that actually sounds like a good idea."

"I'll join you guys in a minute," Shadowpaw told them, glancing one last time at his mentor with his family.

_Is my family like that? Will they love me like Sagepelt and Hollycloud love their kits?_ Shadowpaw watched a few moments, before following his denmates to his nest.


	19. Chapter Seventeen

Shadowpaw woke to a leak in the den. Rain steadily dripped onto him overnight, soaking his nest through. Grunting irritably, he moved away from his nest. Dawn was just on the horizon, but the sky was dark with storm clouds. The other apprentices were still sound asleep, being fortunate enough to still have dry nests. Carefully stepping over Firepaw, as to not wake her, Shadowpaw peered outside.  
  
Rain was pouring down, splattering mud across the camp. The dawn patrol was set to leave any time now, and Shadowpaw spotted Foxchaser sheltering under the Highoak. He stared over at the camp entrance, instantly feeling guilty for being irritated. _Poor Rainfall has been out in this all night._  
  
Quickly he headed towards the fresh-kill pile hoping at least one piece of prey was still dry. Nosing through soggy fur, Shadowpaw managed to pluck a dry mouse from the bottom of the pile. Placing it carefully inside the warriors' den, he ran towards the camp entrance.   
  
Rainfall was huddled near the thorn tunnel, trying his best to stay dry. His gray pelt was soaked black, and his eyes were dull with exhaustion. Shadowpaw gave a mew of greeting, gently nudging him.  
  
“The dawn patrol is getting ready to leave,” he told the rain soaked warrior. “I managed to find a dry mouse. It's in the warriors' den waiting for you.”  
  
Rainfall's eyes brightened gratefully. “Thanks Shadowpaw,” he responded tiredly. “I'll just be glad to finally get dry!”   
  
Shadowpaw purred. “You go do that then.”   
  
Dipping his head in thanks, Rainfall quickly rushed into camp. Fully awake now from the storm, Shadowpaw went back into camp to find Foxchaser. The LeafClan deputy looked miserable from all the rain, her eyes narrowed. Upon Shadowpaw's arrival, she turned her deep amber gaze towards him.  
  
“You're awake early,” she observed.   
  
Shadowpaw dipped his head in greeting. “There's a leak in the apprentices' den,” he explained. “Since it had already woken me up, I thought maybe I could join the dawn patrol.”  
  
Foxchaser gave a brief nod. “We could use a willing cat to come along,” she agreed. “The other cats should be out of their nests shortly.”  
  
Just a few moments later, Lionclaw, Amberfur, and Duskstrike quickly joined them under the Highoak. Lionclaw fluffed out his thick golden tabby fur, letting out a slight snort of disgust. Amberfur leaped to the side, avoided the rain droplets flinging off of him.  
  
“Hey! Watch it!” she growled.  
  
Duskstrike rolled his eyes. “You're just going to rained on, what does it matter?”  
  
Amberfur huffed. “I'd rather not get any more wet than I need to.”  
  
“Enough bickering,” Foxchaser scolded. “Shadowpaw has chose to join you for the patrol, so make sure you keep a close eye on him.”  
  
Shadowpaw felt his blood well up with indignation. Lionclaw leaned down to whisper to him. “She means well,” he told the young apprentice. “You haven't patrolled in this sort of weather yet. It's a caution we take with all new apprentices.”  
  
“That's right,” Foxchaser added, hearing Lionclaw. “We border both the river, and the foggy ravine. There is a lot to be cautious of. Especially if you aren't used to the territory in these conditions.”  
  
Shadowpaw felt himself relax. He gave a nod of understanding. “Okay, I'll be careful.”  
  
“Good,” Foxchaser replied. “Off you go. Report anything the least bit suspicious.”  
  
Duskstrike led the way out of camp, the others following just behind him. Shadowpaw struggled to keep up with the older cats, mud sticking to his belly fur. As the cats reached their first border by the river, Shadowpaw felt weighed down by the globs of mud matted into his pelt. Duskstrike sniffed along the river's shore, re-marking the border along the way. Lionclaw checked the nearby bushes, while Amberfur stood watch with Shadowpaw. Keeping an eye out, Shadowpaw attempted to clean the mud from his fur.  
  
“The border looks clear,” Duskstrike reported.  
  
Lionclaw gave a mew of agreement. “It's clear over here as well.”  
  
Amberfur nodded. “Let's check the PineClan border now then.”  
  
Somewhat satisfied with what he was able to clean out, Shadowpaw quickly followed his Clanmates uphill towards the foggy ravine. The rain was still relentlessly pouring down, making the fog over the ravine denser than usual. Shadowpaw stayed behind Amberfur, hesitant to get close to the edge. _I don't want to almost fall in like last time,_ he thought, shuddering at the memory. Amberfur glanced back at him, her eyes gentle.  
  
“It's alright,” she reassured him. “Stay beside me and you'll be fine.”  
  
Grateful for her kindness, Shadowpaw slowly padded up to the edge beside the older she-cat.  
  
Amberfur gently laid her tail over his shoulders. “This ravine has been a mystery for a long time,” she told him. “No cat has ever tried to venture into it depths. Climbing down is nearly impossible. You see those steep ledges? That, and the fog that shields the bottom, are what keep the Clans from attempting it.”  
  
Shadowpaw blinked. “So how do we get to PineClan if we need to?”  
  
“We cut through the Hollow Ravine where the gatherings are,” Amberfur answered. “It's also how we get to BreezeClan, and the Cavern of Stars.”  
  
“Border is all marked,” Lionclaw called over to them.  
  
Amberfur looked up. “Okay. Let's get back to camp then. I need to get out of this rain!”  
  
Gazing back down into the ravine one last time, Shadowpaw turned and ran back towards camp with his Clanmates. Once they returned to camp, Shadowpaw went back to the apprentices' den. Inside, Firepaw and Yellowpaw were trying to patch the leak in the roof. Firepaw gave an irritated hiss as rain dropped onto her nose.  
  
“Mouse-dung!” she spat. “This rain is ridiculous!”  
  
Yellowpaw splat some mud over the hole, trying to pack it in tightly. Shadowpaw looked over to where his nest was, noticing that it had been removed. A muffled mew from behind him made him turn around. Ivypaw had some moss in her jaws, setting it at her paws.  
  
“Your nest was wet,” she told him. “So I got some dry moss from Whispersong.”  
  
Shadowpaw gave a grateful mew. “Oh, thank you,” he thanked her, scooping the dry moss up. He found a spot away from the leak, and began to pat his moss down into a new nest.  
  
Firepaw huffed as the leaking finally stopped. Yellowpaw wiped her paws off nearby, while Ivypaw helped clean the mud from her sister's fur. Shadowpaw smiled as he finally finished his nest, and gave a satisfied nod. Firepaw walked over to him, scrunching her nose up.  
  
“You are soaked and all muddy!” she noted, looking him up and down. “Where were you out in this weather anyways?”  
  
Shadowpaw sighed, trying to clean his fur out. “The leak woke me up, so I just joined the dawn patrol.”  
  
“I see,” Firepaw answered, helping to clean his fur out.   
  
The apprentices groomed each other in a comfortable silence, the only sound being the thrumming of rain. Shadowpaw felt himself dozing off, before finally succumbing to sleep.  
  
  
  
Warm light bathed Shadowpaw's fur, waking him. Shadowpaw realized he was dreaming, once again in the meadow from before. A gentle breeze blew through his fur, putting his mind at ease. Just behind him, in the center of the field, was an ancient oak tree. At the base of the tree, the same silver she-cat from before watched him with loving eyes. Shadowpaw slowly walked towards her, keeping his gaze locked with hers.  
  
“You're a StarClan cat, aren't you?” Shadowpaw asked, once he was close enough.  
  
The mysterious she-cat nodded, her gaze drifting to the sky above them. Shadowpaw followed her gaze, shocked to see the bright sunny sky shift to dark storm clouds. A huge gust of wind nearly blew Shadowpaw off his paws, and he dug his claws into the ground.  
  
“What's happening?” he demanded. “Who are you?”  
  
“Like the shadows of yesterday,” she began to repeat the strange prophecy from before. “Only the brightness of tomorrow will dispel the darkness in lost memories.”   
  
Shadowpaw noticed she began to fade, and quickly ran up towards her. “Wait! What does that mean?”   
  
In a glimmer of starlight, the she-cat vanished. Darkness engulfed him once more, plunging him out of the dream. Waking with a start, Shadowpaw quickly looked around him. The rain had stopped, but none of his denmates were in den anymore. Shivering, Shadowpaw tried to push the ominous words from his mind. Only to hear them slightly whisper beside him:  
  
 _To dispel the darkness, you must seek those who lurk among the shadows._


	20. Chapter Eighteen

The moaning of a cat in pain woke Shadowpaw from his sleep. Blearily opening his eyes, he glanced around the den. The others were stirring too, Firepaw giving a growl of irritation. _That sounds awful,_ Shadowpaw frowned. _What's going on?_

Not waiting for his denmates to wake up, Shadowpaw crept out into the clearing. Whispersong's face was peering outside of the nursery, instructing Sleetpaw on herbs to grab from the medicine cat den. Echostar was sitting at the base of the Highoak, Foxchaser beside her. Shadowpaw could see the elders gathered outside of their den, whispering among themselves.

"Dawnrise must be kitting," Yellowpaw yawned, padding up beside him.

Shadowpaw remembered seeing the dappled ginger queen, her belly heavily swollen with kits. He shuddered when he heard another painful moan echo from the nursery. _She sounds like she's in so much pain,_ he frowned. _Is birth supposed to sound like this?_

Ivypaw and Firepaw joined them outside then. "It's about time!" Firepaw huffed. "Her belly was about to burst!"

Yellowpaw frowned. "Yeah, but she sounds like she's in so much pain," she fretted. "Hollycloud didn't sound this bad."

"That wasn't Hollycloud's first litter though," Ivypaw pointed out.

Rainfall emerged from the warriors' den, yawning. He stumbled over towards them tiredly. "What's going on?"

"Dawnrise is kitting," Shadowpaw told him.

Rainfall instantly brightened up. "Really? That's great!"

"Do you always get excited over everything?" Firepaw snorted.

Rainfall purred. "Kits are great to have though!" he told her. "Plus they're always fun to play with."

"That's only because you have younger siblings," Yellowpaw rolled her eyes.

Shadowpaw glanced back towards the nursery, noticing that Nettleleaf was ushering her three kits outside. "Go and stay with your father!" she scolded.

"But we want to see the new kits!" one of the kits, a light brown tom, protested.

"Yeah!" the only she-kit, a pale ginger tabby, chimed in.

Nettleleaf shook her head. "You keep getting under Whispersong's paws! You can see them when they're here."

"Your mother is right," Duskstrike meowed, walking over towards them. "Come on and wait over here with me."

The last kit, a dark gray tom with one white paw, looked up at him hopefully. "Can we see the warriors' den?"

Duskstrike purred. "I don't think the warriors would appreciate a bunch of noisy kits in their nests."

Rainfall gave a laugh. "Those three will be apprentices soon enough."

"Yeah, and then they'll just be busy annoying all of us!" Firepaw grunted.

Sleetpaw rushed back out of the nursery, and Rainfall called over to him. "Did you need any help?"

The fluffy gray tom stopped briefly and shook his head. "No," he told his brother. "This is part of my training. Thanks anyways!"

Yellowpaw twitched her whiskers. "He's as hard-working as ever."

Rainfall gave a mew of agreement. "He'll be a great medicine cat," he meowed proudly. "He should be getting his full name any day now."

Shadowpaw looked around. "Where's Longwhisker?"

Ivypaw shrugged. "Probably in the nursery with Dawnrise."

Firepaw yawned. "Well, _I'm_ going back to bed!" she announced. "I'm not about to stay up all night waiting for kits!"

"Yeah, I might try to go back to sleep too," Yellowpaw yawned.

Ivypaw gave a slight nod, following Firepaw back into the den. Rainfall gave a stretch. "That actually sounds like a good idea," he smiled. "Good night you guys!"

"Night!" Yellowpaw mewed, following the others back into the den.

Shadowpaw glanced back at the den, but after hearing another moan of pain echo across the clearing, he realized he wouldn't be able to fall back to sleep. Making himself comfortable, Shadowpaw laid down to wait out the birth of LeafClan's new additions.

 

Just as Shadowpaw began to doze off, the loud mewling of kits rang out Shadowpaw jumped to his paws, startled at first. Echostar was rushing towards the nursery, Foxchaser at her heels. Nettleleaf poked her head outside of the nursery, purring.

"How is she?" Echostar asked.

Nettleleaf gave a sigh of relief. "Exhausted, but she's okay."

Foxchaser waved her tail in relief. "That's great."

The dusty brown queen purred. "She had two she-kits and a tom!"

Echostar purred. "That's wonderful!"

Whispersong slid out beside Nettleleaf, Sleetpaw behind him. "You can go in and see them, but Dawnrise is exhausted so be wary."

Echostar dipped her head. "Thank you, Whispersong," she slowly crept into the nursery, Foxchaser waiting outside.

"Are the kits here yet?" Firepaw's sudden mew made Shadowpaw jump.

He turned to look at her. "Yeah, they were just born a few moments ago. Nettleleaf said it's two she-kits and a tom."

Firepaw padded up beside him. "Good, I'm glad."

The heaviness is Firepaw's voice surprised Shadowpaw. _Is she thinking about her own mother? And her lost littermates?_ He wondered with a frown. Shadowpaw gently nudged her. "Let's go see them," he suggested.

Firepaw blinked, and just gave a little smile. "Sure," she shrugged. "If Dawnrise lets us, that is."

"Come to see our new arrivals?" Foxchaser asked, as the two apprentices approached.

Shadowpaw nodded., Echostar emerging out of the nursery. "You can see them, but be very quiet," she warned.

Glancing at Firepaw, Shadowpaw slowly padded into the nursery. Hollycloud was over in the corner, her fluffy tail curled around her own two kits. Longwhisker was beside Dawnrise, grooming her head lovingly as she dozed. Three little bundles squirmed at her belly. The only tom was white with ginger splotches, his sister beside him a fluffy brown-and-white tabby. The second she-kit was black, and slightly smaller than her littermates.

"They're so tiny!" Firepaw whispered, sniffing at them carefully.

Dawnrise opened her eyes with a tired purr. "Aren't they beautiful?"

Shadowpaw nodded. "Did you name them yet?"

Longwhisker purred proudly. "We named the only tom, Larkkit."

"And the tabby she-kit is named Sparrowkit," Dawnrise added.

Firepaw tilted her head. "What did you name the last one?"

"Ravenkit," Longwhisker answered, as Dawnrise gently nosed her closer to her littermates.

"They're great names," Shadowpaw mewed.

Firepaw purred when Ravenkit raised her tiny head in a mewl. "She's feisty for being so little!"

"As were you, when you were born," Nettleleaf purred, coming back into the nursery.

Shadowpaw let out a little laugh when Firepaw gave a playful huff at the queen. He turned to take one last look at the kits, before dipping his head in thanks. He quickly slipped back out of the nursery. Firepaw followed behind him, nearly being knocked over by Nettleleaf's kits as they rushed back into the nursery after their mother.

"Poor Nettleleaf," Shadowpaw sympathized with a smile.

Firepaw regained her footing with a snort. "I know she'll be relieved when they're apprenticed!"

"I'm sure," Shadowpaw purred.

"Now that that's all over," Firepaw yawned. "Let's get some sleep!"

Mewing in agreement, Shadowpaw followed after his friend. As he settled back into his nest, the images of Dawnrise's new kits flashed in his mind. _Now, more than ever, I know what I must do._


	21. Chapter Nineteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! So we're finally at the end of Uncast Stones! This DOESN'T mean it's the end of the series though! After Chapter Twenty and the Epilogue is released, I will begin working on it's second book-Gathering Storm. It will take place right after this, so don't worry too much. I hope you guys will continue to follow me until the very end <3

The next morning, Shadowpaw trained with Sagepelt as usual. When he was finally free for the day, he ventured off towards the river. The water lapped quietly along the pebble shore as Shadowpaw stared at his reflection on the surface. _This is where I was found,_ Shadowpaw remembered what he had been told. _But why was I floating in the river?_ Frowning, he began to walk along the shoreline. The scent of ReedClan cats suddenly began to grow strong. Shadowpaw quickly hid in some bushes, just as a patrol emerged from the reeds on the other side of the river.

Leading the patrol, was a large dark gray tabby. He padded down to the shore, sniffing carefully. A silver tabby was right behind him, looking around. A white she-cat with brown splotches pushed through the reeds with an irritated hiss.

"Why are we even back at this border, Stonetail?" she demanded. "Minnowstripe already said he checked it at dawn."

Stonetail narrowed his eyes at her. "Borders must be checked with diligence," he replied. "Surely you learned this before becoming a warrior, Mudspeck?"

Mudspeck hissed. "Why you-!"

"That's enough," a gruff mew came from the reeds.

The silver tabby walked over to reeds just as a blue gray tabby emerged. "The border seems clear, Blueclaw."

Blueclaw dipped his head. "Thank you, Riverpaw. You're correct."

"Of course it's clear!" Mudspeck growled. "Which is why there was no point in patrolling this border."

_She reminds me of Firepaw,_ Shadowpaw blinked. _I guess ReedClan isn't that much different._

Stonetail gave the young warrior a frosty glare, before Blueclaw lashed his tail.

"Enough already," he sighed. "Let's head back."

The gray tabby watched his Clanmates disappear back into the reeds. After a moment, he turned his blue gaze across the river.

"Just how long do you plan on hiding?"

_He knew I was here?_ Shadowpaw tensed. Creeping back out of the bushes, he met the ReedClan tom's gaze. _His eyes...they're so blue..._

"What are you doing so close to the border?" Stonetail demanded. "Doesn't LeafClan watch their own kits?"

Shadowpaw bristled. "I'm not a kit!" he snapped. "I'm an apprentice!"

Stonetail narrowed his eyes. "Pretty small for an apprentice."

"S-So what?" Shadowpaw retorted, burning with indignation.

"Stay away from the river," he growled suddenly, startling Shadowpaw. "Forest cats don't belong near it. Especially puny apprentices."

Shadowpaw straightened up. "Like any cat would want to go in the river!"

Stonetail's eyes glimmered with a tiny hint of amusement. "So you get the point then," he snorted, turning to go back into the reeds. "Warriors don't have time to rescue drowning kits."

Shadowpaw watched the ReedClan warrior leave, fur bristled. _What an arrogant cat!_ Lashing his tail frustratedly, he made his way away from the shoreline. _Still,_ Shadowpaw felt himself calm. _Why would he bother warning another Clan's apprentice?_ Deciding it wasn't too important, he continued walking. Lost in thought, Shadowpaw found himself just wandering LeafClan's territory. Taking in every scent, every tree, every bush. _LeafClan means so much to me,_ he thought, looking up through the treetops. _I can't let them suffer for my own selfishness._

Closing his eyes, Shadowpaw slowly made his way back into camp. The Clan was busy as usual, with Foxchaser organizing a hunting patrol under the Highoak. Meanwhile Duskstrike was busy teaching his three kits the hunting crouch, Nettleleaf looking on nearby. Sagepelt and Hollycloud were sharing tongues outside the nursery, Silverkit and Redkit tussling playfully beside them. Longwhisker was bringing some fresh-kill for Dawnrise into the nursery, while Whispersong was rushing towards the elder's den. Sleetpaw was right behind him, carrying a bundle of herbs in his jaws. Shadowpaw blinked. _What's going on now?_

Shadowpaw headed over towards the elder's den, peering in. Frosttail and Jayeyes were sitting up in their nests, gazes somber. Oaktuft was sitting in the back, gently licking Birchclaw's head. Whispersong was taking the herbs from Sleetpaw, murmuring to the elder as he pushed some poppy seeds near his mouth. The old brown tom was breathing heavily, his pelt ragged and soaked with moss. Sleetpaw looked on, frowning.

"Sleetpaw, you can go ahead and leave now," Whispersong told him gently. "There's nothing more that can be done."

Sleetpaw gave a little nod, heading out of the den. "Oh, Shadowpaw," he blinked.

"Hey, Sleetpaw," Shadowpaw mewed in greeting. "What's going on?"

Sleetpaw frowned. "Birchclaw isn't doing well. He's very old, and just suddenly became ill this morning."

Shadowpaw looked back over at the elder, the medicine cat hunched beside him. "Whispersong looks so sad..."

"That's because Birchclaw is his father," Sleetpaw murmured. "Dawnrise will be sad too."

_Poor Whispersong,_ Shadowpaw frowned.

Sleetpaw sighed. "I guess I'll go tell Dawnrise. She might want to come say goodbye."

The medicine cat apprentice walked off, leaving Shadowpaw outside the elder's den. Glancing back at Birchclaw, Shadowpaw went over to the apprentices' den. Not feeling up to doing anything else, he climbed into his nest and dozed off.

 

The sun was setting when Shadowpaw woke. Stretching, he left the apprentices' den. The camp was quiet, and laying in the center was Birchclaw. Oaktuft and Frosttail were gently cleaning his fur, Dawnrise and Whispersong sitting off to the side. Jayeyes hobbled over with some herbs, carefully rubbing them over his old friend's pelt. Echostar walked over to the old elder, gently pressing her nose into his flank.

"You served us well," she murmured to him. "Rest easy in StarClan."

As if her words were a signal, Jayeyes padded away with his denmates. Dawnrise and Whispersong laid down beside their father, pressing close to each other in comfort. Echostar sat on his other side, resting her nose in Birchclaw's fur. Starting to feel choked up, Shadowpaw crept back into his nest. He covered his face with his paws. Dozing back off, the ominous words from the StarClan cat whispered in his ear:

_You must seek those who lurk among the shadows._

*** * *** _  
_

The moon hung heavily in the night sky as Shadowpaw emerged from the apprentices' den. Birchclaw's lifeless body still lay in the camp, Whispersong and Dawnrise keeping vigil beside him. Creeping past them, Shadowpaw made his way for the dirtplace tunnel. Squeezing out and past the dirtplace, Shadowpaw trotted out into the forest. Pacing himself, he moved on until he reached the border with the Hollow Ravine. Sitting down, Shadowpaw stared out over the border.

Rustling in the bushes behind him caused him to jump around. Firepaw's familiar ginger pelt nearly glowed silver in the moonlight as she stepped out. Shadowpaw tensed. _Mouse-dung! What's Firepaw doing here?_

"I knew something was up with you!" Firepaw snapped. "What are you doing out here?"

Shadowpaw met her gaze evenly. "I could ask you the same thing. Why did you follow me?"

Firepaw growled. "Why else?" she lashed her tail. "You were acting weird, so I decided to find out why."

_There's no point in hiding it now,_ Shadowpaw realized. Lifting his head, he stepped back. "I'm leaving LeafClan. It's time for me to return home."


	22. Chapter Twenty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINAL CHAPTER IS HERE!
> 
> Be on the lookout for the Epilogue, hopefully will be posted within the next day or so. And also be on the look out for the next in this trilogy series-Gathering Storm!

Silence filled the dark forest as the two apprentices faced each other. Firepaw's blue eyes were blazing with a mixture of hurt, confusion, and anger. Shadowpaw faced her steadily, despite guilt weighing in his stomach like a stone. _I'm sorry I didn't tell you,_ he silently apologized. _It would have been better had no one known._

"How can you do this?" Firepaw demanded, her voice shaken. "Without even saying goodbye?"

Shadowpaw closed his eyes, looking down. "I'm sorry," he mewed quietly. "It would have caused less trouble for everyone if I left without a word."

A sharp blow sent Shadowpaw reeling back. "You _idiot!_ " Firepaw snarled, swiping at him.

Tiny droplets of blood spotted the ground by Shadowpaw's paws. His cheek stung with fresh scratch marks. He quickly dodged Firepaw as she swiped again.

"Firepaw, stop!" Shadowpaw yelled, leaping back.

Firepaw snarled, her eyes now blazing with fury. "No! Not until you realize how _stupid_ you just sounded!"

As Firepaw leaped at him, Shadowpaw jumped out of the way. He headbutted her, sending her rolling back. Firepaw stumbled to get to her paws, breathing heavily.

"Are you done?" Shadowpaw asked, his cheek still stinging.

Firepaw glared at him defiantly, getting to her paws. "Answer this question."

Shadowpaw gave a nod. "And that is?"

"Is it really what you want?" she asked. "To return to a place you don't even remember?"

Shadowpaw hesitated closing his eyes. After a moment, he opened them again. "Yes," he answered her. "I will always remember LeafClan, and everyone here. But I belong home."

Firepaw looked away, not saying anything. She lashed her tail. "Fine. Leave then!" she spat. "You wouldn't have ever been good for the Clan anyways!"

A little stung by her words, Shadowpaw backed away to leave. "I'm sorry, Firepaw," he murmured. "This is goodbye."

Firepaw kept her gaze away, and Shadowpaw turned and bolted off into the woods. Skirting along the edge of the Hollow Ravine, he climbed uphill until he reached the end of the forest. Heather stretched out before him, the night sky clear as ever above him. Carefully, Shadowpaw walked along the edge of BreezeClan's border. After some time, he reached the thunderpath he had crossed before when visiting the Cavern of Stars. _Cinder said she would be waiting just over the thunderpath for me,_ Shadowpaw reminded himself. Checking both ways for any monsters, Shadowpaw bolted across the thunderpath. Crashing through thick hedges on the other side, he stumbled forward. Shaking the leaves out of his fur, he slowly looked around.

"Hello?" he called out. "Cinder? Are you there?"

Some leaves rustled above him, and he glanced up. Cinder was laying on a tree branch, gazing down at him. She leaped down, landing neatly on all four paws.

"It's about time you got here," she greeted him.

Shadowpaw sighed. "Sorry," he apologized. "I got a bit...held up."

Cinder smirked, brushing beside him as she walked past. "It must be awfully difficult having a such a feisty mate."

Tensing, Shadowpaw shook his head. "What? No Firepaw isn't-!"

"Oh relax already!" Cinder rolled her eyes. "I was just teasing you."

_Is this what having a littermate is like?_ Shadowpaw wondered, a bit irritated. Shaking his head, he turned and followed his sister. "Never mind that," he went on. "Did you tell the others that I'm coming back tonight?"

Snorting, Cinder looked at him. "Of course!" she looked ahead, skipping a bit. "Mother and Father were overjoyed that you'd be coming back to us."

_My parents,_ Shadowpaw thought in awe.

"The others were happy too," Cinder went on. "Especially now that we don't have to waste blood in a war."

"So this really will stop the war?" Shadowpaw asked.

Cinder gave a nod. "That's what was promised, wasn't it?"

"Oh, y-yeah, of course," Shadowpaw stammered, relieved.

"Anyways," Cinder purred. "Let's hurry back home."

Not giving him any chance to respond, she dashed ahead. Shadowpaw quickly ran after her, doing his best to keep pace. Cinder skirted the rocks leading to the Cavern of Stars, running along the edge of the thunderpath. As they turned the bend, Shadowpaw could see that the thunderpath ran through a tunnel.

"Now what?" Shadowpaw asked, panting.

Cinder slid down a small ravine, where a dark and narrow tunnel began just beside the thunderpath. "We go through here," she told him.

Reluctantly, Shadowpaw followed his sister through the narrow underground tunnel. Sticky water and mud soaked his paws, and he felt himself beginning to panic as the tunnel went on. Taking a deep breath, he tried to remain calm as he crept on. Finally, they emerged out of the tunnel. To the side of right side of them, was a large patch of forest. Cinder shook her paws off, before leading Shadowpaw into the forest. As they walked, the ground steepened. It became rocky underpaw, and Shadowpaw could feel his pads scrape along the rough terrain. When the path finally evened out, Cinder led him down a winding trail, similar to the path that led to the Cavern of Stars. At the end of the path, a narrow thorn tunnel awaited them.

"Our home is through here," she told him. "Are you ready?"

Shadowpaw gave a nod. "As I'll ever be."

Cinder went through the tunnel, Shadowpaw hesitantly following behind her. Emerging from the tunnel, the forest opened up to a rocky gorge. Both he and Cinder stood on a rocky ledge, with a path leading down into the gorge below. Different caves along the stone walls indicated to Shadowpaw that cats used them as dens. Reaching the bottom of the path, Cinder ran over to a small cave, lichen covering the entrance.

"Hawk, we're home!" she called in.

_Hawk,_ Shadowpaw remembered the large tabby from before. _He was the leader of this group, wasn't he?_

On que, the broad-shouldered rogue emerged from the den. Cinder quickly ran up beside Shadowpaw, giving a purr. Hawk walked over to him, his yellow eyes narrowed in greeting.

"Welcome home, my son."


	23. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: We have now reached the end! Thank you to everyone who has been here since the beginning! Your continued support means so much to me! Be on the look out for the next book-Gathering Storm
> 
> I should be having it up in the next few days!

Early morning light dappled the LeafClan clearing. Echostar sat upon the Highoak, her blue eyes gazing across the camp. Three days had passed since Shadowpaw left LeafClan in the night. Troubled dreams plagued the LeafClan leader since. No cats were awake in the Clan just yet, except for Dawnrise's new kits—who were mewling hungrily from the nursery.

_Just how long will this peace continue to last?_ She wondered.

The thorn tunnel rustled, Whispersong and Sleetpaw returning from the Cavern of Stars. _That's right,_ Echostar recalled. _Sleetpaw received his full medicine cat name last night._

Climbing down from the Highoak, she greeted the two medicine cats. Whispersong gave a mew in greeting, dipping his head politely.

"How did the ceremony go?" Echostar asked, glancing at Sleetpaw.

Sleetpaw raised his head, a little gleam in his eye. "I received my full name, it's Sleetwhisker now."

"Congratulations!" she purred. "Your parents will be overjoyed to hear it."

"Thank you, Echostar," Sleetwhisker dipped his head.

Echostar gently laid her nose on his head. "Get some rest, you'll need it."

Sleetwhisker gave a grateful nod, walking off towards the medicine cat den. Whispersong watched his apprentice leave, his eyes filled with pride. After a moment, he turned to look at her. Echostar tipped her head to one side, having him follow her back into the forest. Whispersong walked alongside her, turning his gaze up at the trees.

"Leaf-fall will be here soon," he commented.

"Yes," Echostar breathed, memories flowing through her. "A lot has happened since the last."

Whispersong gazed at her, his calm silver eyes reading her carefully. "You have other things on your mind," he observed.

_Observant as always,_ Echostar thought. She met his gaze. "I worry about Hawk and his rogues," she admitted.

The black-and-white medicine cat was quiet a moment. "Do you believe he will keep his promise of war?"

"I'm not sure," Echostar shook her head. "While it's true that Shadowpaw returned to them, I don't think this will be the end of it."

Whispersong suddenly tensed, his silver eyes dulling. The fur along his spine bristled, while his eyes seemed to be watching something far away. Echostar blinked. _A vision? Now?_ A few moments passed, before the medicine cat collapsed.

"Whispersong!" Echostar gasped, rushing to his side. "Are you alright?"

Shakily, the older tom caught his breath. "StarClan, they sent me a vision," he rasped.

"Shh," Echostar soothed. "Let yourself relax first."

Catching his breath, Whispersong closed his eyes. He slowly got back on his paws, trembling. Echostar let him lean against her as he regained his footing. Whispersong gave a little nod to her, and she gently moved away so he could stand on his own. Waiting a few moments, Echostar leaned her muzzle towards him.

"What did StarClan send you?" she pressed.

Whispersong's silver eyes glowed as they bore into her own. As he spoke, his voice suddenly seemed to be combined with many different cats. In unison, they spoke: _"When the last stone has been cast, blood will be spilled under the guise of shadows."_

Horrified, Echostar felt her blood freeze. _Great StarClan...is this all my doing?_


End file.
